Biology

The shy and retiring fire-maned bowerbird is most often seen perching upon exposed, thin branches in the forest canopy, alone, in pairs or in small groups (4). Fruit composes the vast majority of the diet, particularly figs, but it also feeds on insects, and will visit trees in secondary growth forest to find such food. Relatively little seems to be known about the fire-maned bowerbird, possibly due to its rarity and shyness, and the bower of this species was not described until 1986. The bower constructed by the male is a small avenue, or walkway, around 20 centimetres long, made of unbranched and typically curved twigs. These bowers have been found decorated with blue and purple fruits (4). It is thought that the fire-maned bowerbird is a polygynous bird, in which the males are promiscuous and only females attend the nest and care for the eggs and chicks. Nests are constructed from dried leaves, twigs and vines (4).