#flame bowerbird

Learning to paint in procreate! This is a flame bowerbird!

Flame Bowerbird (Sericulus ardens)

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder-- that's especially true for the flame bowerbird! After building and decorating an elaborate nest, males perform a hypnotic dance in which they slowly and rhythmically expand and contract their pupils alternately to seduce potential mates. Check out the video below for a demonstration!

Eastern Coral Snake vs Flame Bowerbird

Arena: Grassland

Flame Bowerbird (Sericulus ardens)

Habitat & Distribution

Exists only in tropical rainforests

Found on the southern part of the island of New Guinea

Physical Description

Weight: 70-230 g (2.4-8.1 oz)

Wingspan: 68-78 cm (26.7-30.7 in)

Males have a red head and yellow body, with black edging on the wings and tail

Females are a more drab brown, with yellow markings along the wing and throat

Behaviour

Males spend most of their time building an elaborate, arch-shaped 'bower' to attract females

Although not aggressive, males will chase away rivals who encroach on their territory

The diet consists mainly of fruit and insects

Predators include birds of prey and large lizards

Key Advantages

Flame bowerbirds can mimic the sounds of other animals, which may confuse potential predators

This 10-inch long bird of the New Guinea rainforest comes by its name honestly, for it resembles a torchlight. Its head down to its neck plumes and shoulders is brilliant red-orange, cooling down to orange then bright flame yellow on its back and wings. The tail and wings are tipped with black. Like other bowerbirds, it builds a structure, or bower made out of sticks and decorates it with all kinds of bright and shiny objects such as stones, shells, bits of glass, and even lost coins and jewelry. The bowerbird’s eyes are also golden, and he can expand and contract his pupils during his courtship dance, which is crazy.