Identification: Males are a brilliant black with the upper head and back and a band across the flight feathers being a rich, brilliant yellow. The eye and bill are also yellow.

Females have a dull brown head with fine dusky spots and a dull soot-black patch on their crown.The back, rump and wings are olive-brown and the tail is dull brown. Their breast is buff with a black spot on the throat. The eye is dull yellow and the bill, feet and claws are dusky.

Call/Song:  Harsh churring squawk for contact and alarm calls. Also soft whisper songs, low chatterings and hisses and some mimicry of other birds (particularly males in the breeding season).
Sound: D. Stewart -used with permission

Distributed along the east coast of Australia from Mackay to Sydney.

Habitat:Habitat is mainly rainforest and some of the adjoining wetter eucalypt forests.

Feeding:  Eats only fruit.

Breeding/Nesting:  Breeds from October through to January. The males descend to the forest floor to build their bowers. These are similar to those of the Satin Bowerbird, but are smaller and less detailed.

Movement: Mainly lives in the upper levels of the forest canopy anddescend to the ground only for bower making, mating and display.
 
 

Male Regent Bowerbird Male Regent  "entertaining" female at bower Female Regent Bowerbird Photos: Glenn Threlfo

Status: Common

Distribution:This bird can occassionally be seen in rainforest, however not usually in the denser rainforest. From late Winter to early Summer, around O'reillys Guesthouse is a good place to see the bird.

Abundance: Common in some areas of the National Park, rare in others.

Queensland Museum (1995) Wildlife of Greater Brisbane, Queensland Museum, Brisbane.

Reader's Digest Services (1979) Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds, Surry Hills, NSW.