Satin Bowerbird

1. Males transform from female-like green plumage to glossy blue-black over 5–7 years

2. Loud, varied calls including screeches, hisses, and mimicry

3. Males build and decorate elaborate stick avenue bowers with blue objects

Satin Bowerbirds are primarily frugivorous, eating fruits, berries, and flowers, but also consume leaves and insects, especially during breeding. Breeding occurs from September to February. Males build and maintain avenue bowers on the ground, decorating them with blue objects (natural and artificial) and painting the walls with a mixture of chewed vegetable matter or charcoal and saliva. Females build a loose stick nest high in a tree and lay 2–3 eggs, which they incubate and raise alone. Incubation lasts about 21 days, and chicks remain in the nest for another 17–21 days. Males can live over 2 years and may maintain the same bower site for decades.

Satin Bowerbirds inhabit rainforests, wet sclerophyll forests, and adjacent woodlands along eastern and southeastern Australia, from southern Queensland to Victoria. They are most active from dawn to mid-morning, foraging in the mid to upper canopy, but males are often seen on the ground near their decorated bowers during the breeding season. Listen for their diverse calls, especially near bower sites.