Bowerbird is the name of 18 species of birds that live in Australia, New Guinea, and neighboring islands. The birds are named for their bowers. These small chambers or runways in the forest are built by the males and are an important part of the courtship ritual. The males use these structures as display areas where they bow and dance to court their mates. The bowers are built of such materials as grass, moss, twigs, and vines. Some males construct their bowers by heaping up twigs around the base of a bush. Others pile sticks between the trunks of two trees and use vines to form a roof.
The birds decorate their bowers with bright objects such as feathers, berries, shells, and orchids and other flowers. Often, these bright decorations are laid on beds of green moss at the entrance to the bower. The decorations are cleared away from the bower as soon as they fade or wither.
Bowerbirds are 81/2 to 15 inches (21 to 38 centimeters) long. Some have bright plumage, but others are rather inconspicuous. Bowerbirds build simple nests in trees. They feed chiefly on fruit.
