Tooth-billed Bowerbird

Scenopoeetes dentirostris· 园丁鸟科(1 photos)

Species Profile

IOC World Bird List

Tooth-billed Bowerbird

Scenopoeetes dentirostris· Bowerbirds, Catbirds

26-27 cm. Bill robust, dark brown, with serrations on cutting edge of both mandibles; eye dark red-brown; bare tan eye-ring. Plumage olive-brown above, fawn below, heavily streaked and mottled brown. Seldom seen or heard Feb.-July, but from c. Sept.-Jan., when males attend 'display courts', easily located by calls. Male occupies concealed song-perch 1-6 m above display court - a roughly oval cleared space 1-3 m in diameter, surrounding at least one tree trunk, and decorated with large leaves, picked green by bird chewing through leaf stem and usually laid pale underside uppermost. Perched bird produces stream of very loud song/mimicry (to this observer, seemingly louder/harsher than the originals). Also a softer sub-song of perfect mimicry: species mimicked include King Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Bower's Shrike-thrush, Mountain Thornbill, Bridled Honeyeater. When a female visits court, male drops to ground and displays, lunging forward or sideways with spread wings and twisting or flicking tail, wide open bill showing gleaming, white interior of tip to lower mandible, contrasting with black mouth-interior and spread fawn-white throat feathers. Outside breeding season, forages in rainforest canopy, singly or in small, loose companies, on fruit, insects, leaves, moving with planing glides between trees.

Other name
Stagemaker; Tooth-billed Catbird.
Voice
strange, powerful and varied: low chuckling notes develop into medley of calls and mimicry against background of noise like cloth being ripped; softer sub-song includes mimicry; also loud cheerful chirp; soft low rasping notes.
Habitat
highland rainforests and vine-scrubs; occasionally to nearby thickets, plantations.
Breeding
Oct.-Jan.
Nest
flimsy saucer of twigs; in vine tangle or fork in rainforest canopy, 5-30 m high.
Eggs
2; oval; cream to creamy brown.
Range & Status
highlands of ne. Q, between 500 and 1400 m, occasionally lower; from Mt Amos, near Cooktown, s. to Mt Elliot near Townsville (Q). Common. Sedentary.

Related Bird Works

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