Satin Bowerbird

The male Satin Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) is a shimmering, glorious blue - or purple depending on the light and your perception. 

Their range is more extensive than other Bowerbirds with most birds being in the south east of Australia and a smaller number in the Cairns and Tablelands area.

The female (in my experience) is more often seen, although those that I have seen could also be immature males. Their bright violet eye is something I have never seen elsewhere.

I have been lucky enough to sit and watch a male bird build his bower and then display to the female. Most species of Bowerbird not only build an intricate and complicated bower but also decorate it. In this case, and most appropriately, the male collected anything that was bright blue to adorn the bower.

Once he had enough decoration, he waited for the female to arrive and then presented her with gifts. His display involved puffing himself up and a lot of squawking.

The female remained singularly unimpressed, stuck around for a short time and then took off!

Below is a recording of the typical Bowerbird hiss.