Alternative names: Newton's Bowerbird; Queensland Gardener
- Prionodura newtoniana
Amblyornis newtoniana
Identification
25cm. The smallest Bowerbird.
Male
- Olive-green head, chin and upperparts
- Deep yellow underparts, central crown and nape
- Pale buff eye
- Blackish-brown bill
- Blue-grey legs with olive wash
Female
- Slightly smaller but heavier and with a shorter tail
- Brownish olive above
- Glaucous below
- Darker eye and bill than male
Immatures are similar to females.
Distribution
Endemic to Queensland, Australia (Thornton Range and Mount Windsor Tableland south to Seaview-Paluma Range).
Fairly common in its small range.
Taxonomy
Some authorities place this species in the genus Amblyornis.[1]
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Upland rainforest, mainly at 700 - 990m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds mostly on fruits but takes also flowers, buds and arthropods.
Does usually feed alone, though will come to fruiting trees often containing numbers of other Bowerbirds and other fruit-eating species.
Breeding
Breeding season from September to February. A polygynous species. The male builds and attends a bower to attract females. They build a nest alone and also breed alone.
The male builds and decorates a large simple maypole bower. The bower consists of a singe or a twin tower made of sticks up to 3m tall and build around a sapling, vines or trees. It's decorated with mainly grey-green lichen and creamy-white fruit. The male then performs a complex display to attract females.
The female builds a deep, bulky cup with dead leaves, about 5m above the ground and around 100m away from the bower. Lays 1 - 3 eggs.
Movements
A resident species. Females and immatures may move to lower altitudes in winter.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2009. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 14: Bush-shrikes to Old World Sparrows. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553507
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Golden Bowerbird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Golden_Bowerbird
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
