Macgregor's Bowerbird

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Macgregor's Bowerbird
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Ptilonorhynchidae
Genus: Amblyornis
Species: A. macgregoriae
Binomial name
Amblyornis macgregoriae
De Vis, 1890

The Macgregor's Bowerbird, Amblyornis macgregoriae is a medium-sized, up to 26cm long, olive brown bowerbird of New Guinea' mountain forests, roughly the size and shape of a robin. The male is adorned with an erectile orange yellow crest, that partly hidden until shown in courtship display. Unadorned female is similar to male, but without crest. Superb mimics, they are known for imitating other birds, pigs, rushing water, and even human speech.

The polygamous male builds a tower-like "maypole-type" bower, with a central pole of twigs surrounded by a dish of moss with raised walls approximately 1 meter in diameter. He decorates the twigs of the maypole with flowers, fruits, insects and other objects. The diet consists mainly of fruits and insects. In the continuum of the "transfer effect," whereby brilliant plumage is "transferred" to elaborate bowers to demonstrate robust health, they lie roughly in the middle for the genus.

When a female comes in proximity to the bower, the male struts and calls, and opens his crest to display its full color. Hiding the crest except during sexual display is thought to minimize his vulnerability to predators.

Widespread and common throughout its range, the Macgregor's Bowerbird is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

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