From Opus

Photo by Mat & Cathy
Photo taken: Cunnamulla, Queensland, Australia

Chlamydera maculata

[edit] Identification

27-310 cm. Brown or black wings and tail with buff spots on the ends of all feathers. Pale, brown-grey, mottled buff cream underparts, plain cream belly, buff streaked with darker brown head, brown hind neck with an erectile tuft of vivid lilac pink plumes. The female either does not possess these plumes or has only a few pink feathers.

[edit] Distribution

Eastern Australia.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species, however, Western Bowerbird has previously been considered a part of Spotted Bowerbird.

[edit] Habitat

Woodland near water.

[edit] Behaviour

The diet includes fruits, seeds, berries and insects and their larvae.

The male constructs bower, with thin parallel walls of finely interwoven grasses and twigs usually orientated on the ground under sheltered shrubbery or overhanging branches. He decorates the bower with numerous white, grey, pale green, amber and mauve objects. Following mating, females construct nests of a loose saucer of dry twigs lined with finer twigs, usually located some distance from the bower in shrubbery. 2 grey to greenish eggs are laid.

[edit] References

www.dse.vic.gov.au

[edit] External Links

• View more images of this species on the ABID