the 18 types of 8 types of the bower-birds is on New Guinea and the neighboring islands, also spreads some of it in Australia. The sexes don't differ in most cases externally.
Arena-birds The bower-birds are narrow relatives of the paradise-birds. Both families are summarized also as "arena-birds." This concept describes a common behavior. The males set up an area exclusively as combination-place namely and defend this "arena" together. Within this area, each male delimits its precinct, the "yard", opposite all other males on the other hand. But while the paradise-birds with the Arenabalz supply its splendid plumage to the show, prunken the more insignificantly colored bower-birds with its "bowers." One could also say, the splendid bowers stepped at the place of the splendor-plumage and fill the same function, namely attraction of a female. The advantage of this development consists that the males can have colored insignificantly and therefore escape enemies more easily.
Shape In the difference to the colorful paradise-birds, the bower-birds have a simply colored plumage; only the males of some types have a head-bonnet hidden in the feathers, that is set up perform courtship display with it also only at short notice. At the combination-time, the males therefore must alert to itself with other means.
Bower-construction In the thicket, they look for a free, even place, that they dress as Balzplatz. At first, the "yard" is cleaned carefully, then, they erect a real construction, the "bower", I. from branches been into the ground with exception of the probably original cat-birds.S., Type Ailuroedus.
Three groups are distinguished by the construction-manner of the bower:
Tennenbauer The cleaned "yard", that can have up to 3 m in the diameter, is laid out with chosen leaves (tooth-cat-bird, Scenopoeëtes dentirostris) or fronds (yellow-band-gardeners, Archboldia papuensis). The so originated "Tenne" gains a diameter of 1,5 m and can have surrounded with a low embankment from wood-scrap and other plant-sharing. This wilted become foliage constantly is replaced with fresh leaves. The "Tenne" can also be decorated, Z. B. with snail-peels or insect-wings.
In preferred areas, the "Tennen" of different males can lie less as 50 m of each other off. In the badly impenetrable thicket, they are to be found only heavily. The observer becomes easily aware on the Balzplätze only in the reproductive-period (September until December), because now, the birds of Singwarten, that lie directly over or beside the Tenne, deliver its loud and variable chant before.
Avenue-farmers or alley-farmers The representatives of the types silk-bower-birds (Ptilonorhynchus, silk-bower-bird), gold-birds (Sericulus) and collar-bower-birds (Chlamydera) construct a bower from upright little branch, that two parallel walls form, on a matted base. The alley remaining between the walls often is so narrow that the bird can pass it exactly. The "yard" is usually decorated with bones, berries and blooms, also mussel-peels and garbages of human "culture" can be used (Kronkorken, glass-scrap). The silk-bower-bird and the velvet-gold-bird paint its bower with a mixture of saliva and vegetable dyes or charcoal.
Maypole-farmers and gardeners From this group (brushwood-tower-farmers or gold-bower-bird) Prionodura newtoniana; Gardener-birds I..S., Type Amblyornis, the most artistic constructions are erected. About a young trunk around or between two trees, they connect brushwood and branch-scrap so together that a tower - or tent-shaped structure is created. Such a tower can reach a height of 2 m. Not rarely, the male grows wide "twin-towers" in the course of several years.
The "gärtnerischen abilities" of this group are of special meaning. The whole yard often is covered (cottage-gardeners) by objects sorted after colors, in form of "beds."
Meaning of the bower The bower fills its actual function as Balzplatz only in the months September until December. By some types, the construction is also erected (in exceptions also only for few days) only for this time period.
Other types almost also look after its Balzplatz the whole year, however, over. they often are visited by females here, but the combination occurs only in the last yearly-third. The same Balzplatz can be retained away also over several years.
Through an opposite the spontaneous-remarks adapted, loud chant, the male lures a female in the reproductive-period and "swaggers" around through the bower and about it. On this occasion it takes different body-positions and runs quickly back and forth; some types can set up additionally colored feather-parts, that are normally hidden.
From time to time, the bird stops, picks up one of the "pieces of jewelry" lying before the bower with the beak and shows it to the female. Finally, the combination takes place.
Numerous bower-birds live in "many-marriage", Weibchen decided visits the same male repeatedly, however.
Brood-care Nest-construction and brood-care are task of the female alone. The bowl-shaped nest, from branches manufactured, is built in a tree between branches.
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