Ptilonorhynchus violaceus (Satin Bower Bird)

ICUN Status: Least Concern

Imagine how excited the first satin bowerbird was finding human garbage. Blue drinking straws! Blue pen! Blue bottle top! Blue paper! Blue, blue, blue blue!!! These days this stuff makes up most of the decorations in bowers, but there was a time when they had to make do with flowers (not many blue flowers in nature) and berries. I reckon that first bird though he had it made. Until …

One of the many complex behaviours in these birds is the inspection and raiding of competitors bowers. I could just image our lucky bird coming back to his bower after struggling to find a couple of blue(ish) berries to add to his decoration. At least he’s got those amazing blue drinking straws already, and the females are showing all sorts of interest. Little does he know that jerk “Bob” bowerbird in the scrub over by the creek came visiting while he was away. Gutted (and anthropomorphised).