Bowerbird

Bowerbirds are a family of Australasian passerine birds. In many species, males build and decorate bowers as courtship displays, separate from the nests where eggs are laid.

Bower: A structure built by male bowerbirds as a courtship display, distinct from a nest. Males of many bowerbird species build these structures to attract females.
Ptilonorhynchidae: The bird family that includes the bowerbirds and their close relatives. This is the taxonomic family named for bowerbirds.
Animal cognition: The study of mental processes such as learning, memory, and decision-making in animals. Bower decoration and object arrangement raise questions about learning and visual judgment.
Vogelkop bowerbird: A New Guinea bowerbird whose males build large, hut-like display structures on the forest floor. Its distinctive hut bower contrasts with the avenue structures of many other species.
Sexual selection: Evolutionary change in traits that affect an individual's success in obtaining mates. Female preferences for displays can favor elaborate bower-building traits.
Passerine: A bird in the order Passeriformes, the largest order of living birds. Bowerbirds belong to this broad group of perching birds.
Animal communication: The transfer of information between animals through signals and behavior. Bowers and courtship behaviors communicate qualities relevant to mating.
Regent bowerbird: An Australian bowerbird whose males build avenue bowers and decorate them with colorful objects. Its displays illustrate how collected ornaments supplement the bower itself.
Female choice: Mate choice in which females select among potential male partners. Females inspect males and bowers, shaping which displays achieve reproductive success.
Australasian birds: Birds native to Australia, New Guinea, and neighboring Australasian islands. Bowerbirds are native to this region, where their species diversified.

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