Study finds urban male bowerbirds prefer human-made items for courtship displays

Male bowerbirds engage in complex mating rituals, constructing tunnels from twigs known as bowers and decorating them with colorful items from their surroundings. A study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science by researchers from the University of Exeter indicates that urbanization has influenced the courtship behaviors of Australian male bowerbirds. The study reveals differences in decoration choices between bowerbirds in urban and rural settings, likely due to the greater availability of brightly colored human-made items in urban areas. The researchers observed the bowers of 61 male great bowerbirds in northern Queensland, Australia, specifically in the rural Dreghorn Cattle Station and urban Townsville City, during the breeding season from September to December 2023. They documented the bower decorations using photography in both visible and UV light, as bowerbirds can perceive UV light.