Soma
Sacred Earth => Animals, Birds, and all our other creature friends [Public] => Topic started by: Nichi on February 28, 2010, 03:22:19 PM
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Female Satin Bowerbird of New South Wales
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4392474171_1b19b39348_b.jpg)
Pretty!
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Considered very advanced birds from the male's amazing sexual displays and his complicated nest building, the Satin Bowerbird gets its name from the intricately weaved “bower” that the male builds to entice the females to mate with him. With a solid mat floor of small sticks the elaborately built U-shaped bower is made out of twigs and sticks woven into the walls, which run in a north-south direction. The dominant males brilliantly decorate the platforms at either end of the bower with flowers, feathers, berries, shells, leaves and when around humans, will use objects such as pegs and bits of plastic usually predominantly blue in colour but will use some yellow or green objects as well. They also paint the walls with charcoal and their saliva coloured from fruits. The bower is not a nest, but an attractive “avenue” made by the males to hopefully entice and impress any female into it. When they are not feeding the males spend much of their time in the bower calling to potential female mates and warning off any other male rivals. Males with the most highly decorated bowers achieve the most matings with females, who can be very fussy. Mating is performed within the walls of his bower.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3021/2835122264_9ea69e6a2e_b.jpg)
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(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3305/3519774638_ae48b28025_b.jpg)
That's just so amazing --- an artistic offering!
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"females, who can be very fussy"
wouldn't you know it.
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"females, who can be very fussy"
wouldn't you know it.
:P :D :-*
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I don't know how close to humans they nest, but I could imagine leaving pretty blue items out for them to take, like in a basket. (Ribbon, eg.)
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I can see you doing that V.
We are looking after a dog currently that as been spoilt by a woman such as you. And Julie is not making it any better.
You can really see how it takes a male and female personality types to give the right balance - good cop, bad cop.
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"females, who can be very fussy"
wouldn't you know it.
Oh dont you start, LOL ;D
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Blue clothespins, heh!
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3133/3123655010_e3fc2f0372.jpg)
(http://home.vicnet.net.au/~osch/Bower%20photo1.jpg)
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How odd, I take it they're not colorblind. Funny they find comfort in such a thing, lol :D
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Oh baby, I know you love blue...
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(http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t227/firecrackling/bow.jpg)
No wonder she inspires great works of art! :)
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We have these birds in the scrub around the house.
The males raid each others bowers - for supplies of blue items or simply destroy the bower of rival suitor. They are tough birds. A bower takes forever to build - a few seconds to smash.
Years ago, the little plastic rings around the top of milk cartons, holding the screw on lids became their undoing. Milk companies were asked not to make the lids of these 'bottles' blue, to prevent the birds stealing them and getting them flipped over their necks. Around south East Queensland, Northern N.S.W. , there are no blue milk bottle tops made.
They nick the fruit as well. Curiously, the young females look like and hang around in gangs and with the females. The purple eye is most impressive. A healthy male catching the sun with his plumage is a phenomena to behold.
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Great that the milk companies cooperated in not making the blue caps.
I'm a little envious that you get to see these bowers, X -- I imagine you have to take care when walking through the scrub to not step on one of them! Meanwhile, you have this spirit of blue all around you: that's so cool.
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Several Satin Bowerbird clips here!
http://ibc.lynxeds.com/video/satin-bowerbird-ptilonorhynchus-violaceus/advanced-immature-male-displaying-another-immature