Alternative names: Lauterbach's Bowerbird; Yellow-bellied Bowerbird; Uniform Bowerbird (uniformis)
- Chlamydera lauterbachi
Identification
27cm. An inconspicious Bowerbird.
- Yellowish-green head with silky-rose crown with coppery sheen
- Brownish-olive upperparts
- Dusky brown-olive flight-feathers and upperwing-coverts
- Greyish to pale yellow chin, throat and upper breast
- Yellow underparts with pale brown-grey barring on side of breast to flanks
- Dark brown eye
- Black bill
The female is similar but duller. Immatures are like females.
Distribution
Endemic to New Guinea.
Locally fairly common.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies accepted[1]:
- C. l. uniformis in central New Guinea
- C. l. lauterbachi in northeast New Guinea
Habitat
Montane forest and secondary growth, overgrown gardens, bushy grassland, coffee plantations and casuarina stands. Occurs from sea-level up to 1800m.
Behaviour
Diet
Diet little known. Feeds on fruits and insects.
Breeding
Breeding in all months except May. A polygynous species. The male builds and attends a bower to attract females. They build a nest alone and also breed alone.
The avenue bower is quite unique, having four walls which are angled outwards (not inwards). It's decorated with grey to blue-grey river-washed pebbles and lareg blue quandong fruits. When the female arrives the male performs a complex courtship display.
The nest is a compact shallow cup made of small sticks. It's placed 1 - 4m above the ground in a tree, bush, sapling or in grass. Lays 1 egg.
Movements
A resident species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. 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. (2025) Yellow-breasted Bowerbird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Yellow-breasted_Bowerbird
