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.
