Fun Golden Bowerbird Facts For Kids
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If you are interested in learning about different types of bowerbirds, then you are going to love this article on golden bowerbirds. The golden bowerbird is a type of passerine bowerbird found only in the forests of Queensland, Australia.
Here, it is restricted to forests on the Atherton Tableland. Bowerbirds are so-called because of the elaborate bowers or attractive structures they make to attract females.
The golden bowerbird has one of the most complex mating rituals among all bird species and many researchers are trying to understand its evolutionary benefits. They are different from the golden fronted bowerbird, which has a yellow crest on its head.
These birds build interesting nests within tree crevices that are lined with leaves, tendrils, and other soft materials. Recently, the bowers of these birds as well the birds themselves are being spotted less and less within rainforests, which is believed to be a sign of climate change.
However, their overall population is believed to be relatively stable. Bowerbirds have a variety of vocal ranges and are great mimics, sometimes imitating calls of pigs and even humans!
If this is of interest, then check out these facts about the cape starling and Gloster canary too.
Golden Bowerbird Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a golden bowerbird?
The golden bowerbird is a type of bird. It is one of the 90 species of bowerbirds found in Australia.
What class of animal does a golden bowerbird belong to?
The Australian golden bowerbird belongs to the class of Aves.
How many golden bowerbirds are there in the world?
The exact number of breeding golden bowerbirds is not known.
Where does a golden bowerbird live?
The golden bowerbird is a species endemic to Australia. Here, it is mostly found in a fragmented manner across northeastern Queensland.
What is a golden bowerbird's habitat?
The golden bowerbird species is found exclusively within rainforest habitats in Queensland. They dwell at elevations of around 2296 ft (700 m).
Who do golden bowerbirds live with?
Golden bowerbirds are generally seen flying in flocks. They also build their nests close together.
How long does a golden bowerbird live?
According to the IUCN, the Australian golden bowerbird has an average lifespan of 12.7 years in the wild. However, the maximum recorded age of males is 23 years, and that of females is 14 years.
How do they reproduce?
Bowerbirds are known especially for the behavior they exhibit during the courtship and breeding season. The male of the species engages in elaborate displays, which may include both physical plumage displays as well as structural displays.
They build a 'bower' structure with sticks and other colorful, decorative items. These bowers, along with the golden bowerbird dance, serve to attract potential female mates. The constructed bowers of the males may remain the same for as long as 30 years, with them continuously adding to it.
Females visit several bowers, assess the quality and display of each. All constructed bowers are unique and reflect the males who made them or the females they are trying to attract.
Did you know that the golden bowerbird is the smallest in size of all bowerbirds but builds the largest bowers? There seems to be a complex evolutionary procedure at play here, with females choosing the genetically strongest males based on their bowers.
After mating, females build a nest in the tree using leaves. This takes around 25 days. The eggs are laid in a batch of one to three eggs and incubation lasts for 21–23 days.
Once the young are born, the female raises them alone. The females are generally polygynous during the mating season.
What is their conservation status?
The golden bowerbird has been classified as a bird of Least Concern by the IUCN and is not endangered. Their populations are stable across the forest region of Queensland.
Some species, like satin bowerbirds, are protected by law due to low populations. The main threat to golden bowerbirds is habitat change. Since they build their bowers on the ground, waterlogging tends to destroy these, though the birds are not explicitly harmed.
If this happens, most birds choose to move elsewhere and start again. However, it is noteworthy that earlier bowers that lived for 20-30 years are now fast disappearing due to climate change.
Golden Bowerbird Fun Facts
What do golden bowerbirds look like?
Golden bowerbird (Prionodura newtoniana) males have a bright yellow plumage. Their heads, sides, and wings are an olive-green color that morphs into a brown color near their wingtips and tail.
The bird has a blue-gray and black bill. Females are considerably duller with gray and brown plumage and no yellow feathers. They have a large head with a rounded body shape and a short tail.
How cute are they?
Like tailorbirds, the Australian male golden bowerbird is adorable with its short beak and bright yellow color. Females of the species are duller and comparatively rounder in shape. On the whole, the small size of bowerbirds and their bright coloring makes them look very cute and approachable.
How do they communicate?
This Australian bird species communicates by producing a range of vocal sounds. This includes a rattling sound produced at regular intervals and other types of whistles, screeches, and squeals. During the breeding season, they may indulge in courtship with a song-like call. Bowerbirds are great at mimicking the calls of other birds.
How big is a golden bowerbird?
The golden bowerbird is the smallest bowerbird species with a length of 8.7 in (22 cm), making them smaller than the flame bowerbird.
How fast can a golden bowerbird fly?
The golden bowerbird can fly quite fast and is often seen flitting from tree to tree. They can also fly to high elevations of up to 4920 ft (1500 m).
How much does a golden bowerbird weigh?
This Australian bird weighs around 2.5 oz (70 g). On average, females are heavier than males.
What are their male and female names of the species?
Both males and females of this bird species are called bowerbirds. Generally, male birds are called 'cocks', and females are called 'hens'.
What would you call a baby golden bowerbird?
A baby golden bowerbird is known as a 'nestling'.
What do they eat?
The golden bowerbird eats fruits and flowers, along with small insects like spiders, wasps, and beetles.
Are they dangerous?
The golden bowerbird is not at all dangerous to humans, though they do have a habit of stealing small and colorful items to decorate their nests with.
Would they make a good pet?
The golden bowerbird is found exclusively in the forest and is not adapted to captive or urban living. It is also known for its fast flight. Hence, they are not suitable for being kept as pets within confined spaces.
Did you know...
Golden bowerbirds make a special type of bower. While most bowers arch to converge at the top, the bowers of golden bowerbirds have two tall tower-like structures supported in the form of a maypole. These maypole structures can be as high as 12 ft (3m)!
What is unique about golden bowerbirds?
Golden bowerbirds are known for their unique courting process, which extends to all bowerbird species. Males spend a lot of time and effort on the bowers to attract females.
They also perform a courtship dance. Females also inspect multiple nests before settling on a partner, but they eventually bring up the chicks alone.
Scientists believe that this elaborate behavior indicates that females gain a lot from the relationship, though it is not exactly clear what that is.
As of now, this courtship process seems to be an interesting evolutionary process that ensures only the best of the lot are able to mate.
Some bowerbird species like the satin bowerbirds are known to collect blue items due to their own blue, satiny sheen, but golden bowerbirds make their bowers unique by building them in a different structure to other bowerbirds.
Do golden bowerbirds mate for life?
No, they do not. Bowerbirds follow a polygynous mating system, where the female builds the nest and raises the kids alone after mating.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our gnatcatcher facts and giant kingfisher facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Golden bowerbird coloring pages.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.
Bachelor of Arts specializing in English Literature, Masters of Art specializing in English and Communication Skills
Sonali RawatBachelor of Arts specializing in English Literature, Masters of Art specializing in English and Communication Skills
Sonali has a Bachelor's degree in English literature from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and is currently pursuing a Master's in English and Communication from Christ University. With considerable experience in writing about lifestyle topics, including travel and health, she has a passion for Japanese culture, especially fashion, and anime, and has written on the subject before. Sonali has event managed a creative-writing festival and coordinated a student magazine at her university. Her favorite authors are Toni Morrison and Anita Desai.
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