Male Satin Bowerbird, Adelaide Zoo

These photos were taken in a walk through aviary in the Adelaide Zoo, South Australia. Visiting the zoo with its excellent collection of birds is always an attraction for me because one can get up close to many species I’ve not seen in their natural environment – or only fleetingly seen at a distance. It’s very good for honing one’s photography skills too.

I’ve only seen a Satin Bowerbird in its natural habitat on a handful of occasions, the most recent being a few weeks ago in a garden in Bright, Victoria. It frequents rainforests, woodlands, scrubs, orchards, parks and gardens. This species is found along the coastal parts of eastern Australia, from southern Queensland through New South Wales and into Victoria. There is an isolated race in northern Queensland.

The female builds a stick nest in a tree near to the bower of the male. Like other bowerbird species the male builds an elaborately decorated bower of sticks on the ground to attract the female, usually including a vast collection of blue or yellow objects.

Male Satin Bowerbird, Adelaide Zoo

Male Satin Bowerbird, Adelaide Zoo