The mature male – older than 7 years - is a striking deep satin blue, whereas the immature males and females are a light speckled green - all have piercing blue eyes. A typical family group has several immature males and females together with one adult male who tends to be more secretive.

The breeding male constructs an intricate bower to seduce females and decorates it with a variety of blue objects; Crimson Rosella flight feathers, pegs, pentops and, when available, Tooheys Blue beer bottle tops.    The Bowerbirds regularly destroyed vegetable seedlings at “Mandeni” and was probably the main reason for our deciding to cover the Vegie Garden at Manna Park.

Bowerbirds eat the berries of the Blue Olive-berry (Eleocarpus reticulates) and the Water Vine and spread the seeds in their droppings.

As part of their calls, Satin Bowerbirds omit a strange “scissors-grinding” call, similar to the Lyrebird at Manna Park. It seems the Lyrebird, an accomplished mimic, has included the Satin Bowerbird in its repertoire.

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