Satin Bowerbird
ProjectTo impress a female, some animals go through great lengths. Satin bowerbirds build jaw-dropping straw-made structures and surround them with blue objects to attract a female. They carefully clean it day after day and ensure that every detail remains perfect.
Dancing to impress.
Upon arrival, female Satin Bowerbirds enter the straw-made structure and watch closely as the male performs his dance. However, the bower is not just a simple stage but also a warzone. Other young males and adult males seek these so that they can sabotage them and weaken an adversary’s chance of mating.
Young males also use bowers to practice their dance and technique. To capture this, I spent two whole months observing them and photographing their daily activities. Although quite exhausting, it deemed to be very rewarding in the end and very exciting.
Tidying up.
Anxiously awaiting a female visitor, a juvenile male Satin Bowerbird quickly re-arranges a blue bottle cap to decorate his bower. He quickly jumps from one spot to another while he ruffles his feathers and chirps longingly.
Being a keen interior designer, he trusts his cleaning and arranges skills to woo his partner.
