Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Great Bowerbird
Chlamydera nuchalis
Great Bowerbird (Chlamydera nuchalis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 5 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Great Bowerbird (Chlamydera nuchalis) is a member of the Ptilonorhynchidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 200 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Ptilonorhynchidae Bowerbirds
- Genus Chlamydera
- Species nuchalis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 200 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Ptilonorhynchidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great Bowerbird is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Great Bowerbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Great Bowerbird (Chlamydera nuchalis) belongs to the Ptilonorhynchidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU n Australia.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 200 g, with a wing length of about 17.3 cm and a tail of around 14.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great Bowerbird?
The Great Bowerbird is a large bird that weighs around 200 g.
Where does the Great Bowerbird live?
The Great Bowerbird is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU n Australia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Great Bowerbird belong to?
The Great Bowerbird (Chlamydera nuchalis) belongs to the Ptilonorhynchidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Great Bowerbird eat?
The Great Bowerbird is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Great Bowerbird migrate?
The Great Bowerbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Great Bowerbird endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Great Bowerbird make?
1 real field recording of the Great Bowerbird — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Great Bowerbird's range?
The Great Bowerbird has a mapped global range of about 1.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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