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| Vogelkop bowerbird | |
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Ptilonorhynchidae |
| Genus: | Amblyornis |
| Species: | A. inornata |
| Binomial name | |
| Amblyornis inornata (Schlegel, 1871) | |
TheVogelkop bowerbird (Amblyornis inornata), also known as theVogelkop gardener bowerbird, is a medium-sizedbowerbird of the mountains ofWest Papua (New Guinea).
The Vogelkop bowerbird wasformally described in 1871 by the German naturalistHermann Schlegel based on specimens collected byHermann von Rosenberg in the mountains of the Vogelkop Peninsula (Bird's Head Peninsula) of westernNew Guinea. Schlegel coined thebinomial namePtilorhynchus inornatus.[2][3] The Vogelkop bowerbird is now one of five species placed in the genusAmblyornis that was introduced in 1872 by the American zoologistDaniel Giraud Elliot.[4] The specific epithetinornata isLatin meaning "plain" or "unadorned".[5] The species ismonotypic: nosubspecies are recognised.[4]
The birds are about 25 cm (9.8 in) in overall in length. The sexes have similar plumage but the female is fractionally smaller. They are mainly olive brown in colour, though somewhat paler below, without ornamental plumage.[6] This makes the species one of the dullest-coloured members of thebowerbird family with, however, one of the largest and most elaborate bowers.
The bower is a cone-shapedhut-like structure some 100 cm high and 160 cm in diameter, with an entrance usually propped up by two column-like sticks. A front "lawn" of some square metres area is cleaned of debris and laid out withmoss. On this, and in the entrance of the bower, decorations such as colourful flowers or fruit, shining beetleelytra, dead leaves and other conspicuous objects are collected and artistically arranged.
Males go to great lengths to ensure that their displays are in prime condition, replacing old items as needed, as well as trying to outdo their neighbours by finding more spectacular decorations, and arranging them appropriately. As opposed to other species of bowerbirds, such as thesatin bowerbird, there is no fixed preference for items of a certain colour, more important being the "novelty value" of the items instead, which can lead tofashion-like trends if males find rare or unusual items; such rare finds are prime targets for theft by neighboring males. Females visit bowers and, depending on whether they like the "treasure trove" on display, will mate with the attendant males. The bower, indeed the male, play no part in nesting and raising the young.
The songs andmimicry skill of this bird are well known among theindigenous peoples. In September 1872,Odoardo Beccari became the first naturalist to see the home grounds of this bowerbird in theArfak Mountains ofIrian Jaya.
Because of its unadorned and plain plumage, this bowerbird is relatively safe from persecution. A common species within its limited habitat range, the Vogelkop bowerbird is evaluated as Least Concern on theIUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
