Macgregor's Bowerbird
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Macgregor's Bowerbird | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservation status | ||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Amblyornis macgregoriae De Vis, 1890 |
The Macgregor's Bowerbird, Amblyornis macgregoriae is a medium-sized, up to 26cm long, olive brown bowerbird of New Guinea' mountain forests, roughly the size and shape of a robin. The male is adorned with an erectile orange yellow crest, that partly hidden until shown in courtship display. Unadorned female is similar to male, but without crest. Superb mimics, they are known for imitating other birds, pigs, rushing water, and even human speech.
The polygamous male builds a tower-like "maypole-type" bower, with a central pole of twigs surrounded by a dish of moss with raised walls approximately 1 meter in diameter. He decorates the twigs of the maypole with flowers, fruits, insects and other objects. The diet consists mainly of fruits and insects. In the continuum of the "transfer effect," whereby brilliant plumage is "transferred" to elaborate bowers to demonstrate robust health, they lie roughly in the middle for the genus.
When a female comes in proximity to the bower, the male struts and calls, and opens his crest to display its full color. Hiding the crest except during sexual display is thought to minimize his vulnerability to predators.
Widespread and common throughout its range, the Macgregor's Bowerbird is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Amblyornis macgregoriae. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
