I've been hoping to photograph this gorgeous Regent bowerbird for some years. Usually all I see is this incredible flash of gold and black as he goes flying off. They are incredibly shy!
I have known he visits my bird bath since my pond dried up last year. But even a slight movement of me inside the house and he is gone.
Finally this morning it came together. There is a closed glass door between us, then a verandah several metres wide. The verandah is then enclosed with fly screen. Finally then a few more metres to the bird bath.
He was actually bathing behind the statue too and I had to just sit focused on that spot and hope he would step to the side.
Finally he did, and yet he turned and looked at me even so as I got this photo, and a moment later in a brilliant flash, he was gone.
One happy girl!
Regent bowerbirds in particular are known to mix a muddy greyish blue or pea green "saliva paint" in their mouths which they use to decorate their bowers. The male builds an avenue-type bower consisting of two walls of sticks, decorated with shells, seeds, leaves and berries. Regents will sometimes use wads of greenish leaves as "paintbrushes" to help spread the substance, representing one of the few known instances of tools used by birds.
I know his bower is in the rainforest remnant on the property but I have never gone looking for it as I would hate to disturb him enough that he may leave. I'm happy with this image to prove that indeed he lives here and visits right up to the house :)
This video had just showed up on my Facebook feed, the bird in it isn’t as gorgeous as yours but the behavior is fascinating. https://youtu.be/RXwJ3QFIOkg
@pandorasecho oh thanks for sharing that - it was great! That's why I don't go searching for his bower, I couldn't imagine disturbing him and scaring him off his territory. But it would be so awesome to see! I stick to paths I've made through the property so that I don't crush nests in the grasses and disturb fragile habitat.
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