Blood pheasant

The Blood Pheasant has kind of a disturbing name, but it gets it from the red skin of its face and legs, and the red feathers on the chin, chest, and tail. They are small members of their family, and are the only species found within the genus Ithaginis, though there are a dozen recognized subspecies.

Blood Pheasants are found in the countries surrounding the Himalayas– China, India, Nepal, and Bhutan. They prefer to live in coniferous forests, and range at elevations of 10,000-15,000 feet during the breeding season, and slightly lower during the rest of the year.

These birds are not the best fliers, and they get around mostly by running on the ground. They even build their nests on the ground, constructing them under rocks and inside shrubs. These ground nests can be problematic, however, as sometimes the eggs must be moved or abandoned altogether if the parents feel there is too much risk. Broods can number over a dozen in size, and the young chicks are able to get up and follow mom around when they are only two days old. They will remain as a group until winter.

The species is very rarely found in captivity, and at present it does not appear that there are any in United States institutions. Blood Pheasants live in very remote regions in the wild, and so have been safe from many of the threats that endanger different pheasant species. However, the population does appear to be on the decline, though it is slow enough to list them as being of Least Concern.

Common name:

blood pheasant (en); faisão-sangue(pt); ithagine ensanglantée (fr); faisán de sangre (es); blutfasan (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Galliformes

Family Phasianidae

Range:

This Asian species is found in the mountains of Nepal, northern India, Bhutan, Tibet, northern Myanmar and south-central China.

Size:

Blood pheasants are 40-48 cm long and weigh 410-620 g.

Habitat:

These birds are found in coniferous and mixed forests, in bamboo forests, scrublands and alpine meadows. They occur at altitudes of 2.500-4.500 m.

Diet:

These birds eat lichens, pine seeds, green shoots, berries and some invertebrates including snails, butterflies, flies and beetles.

Breeding:

Blood pheasants breed in May-July. They nest on the ground, in a shallow saucer made of dry twigs lined with leaves, thin tree roots and mosses. The female lays 5-14 pink or yellowish white eggs with brown speckles, which she incubates alone for 27-33 days while the male stands guard. The chicks are able to walk and feed themselves just 2 days after hatching, but continue to be brooded and protected by the female for 5-6 weeks.

Conservation:

IUCN status – LC (Least concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be common and widespread in some areas and scarce in others. Populations are declining throughout much of its range owing to habitat loss and degradation caused by timber extraction, overgrazing and agricultural conversion, as well as hunting pressure. Still, the blood pheasant is not considered threatened at present.

The Brilliant Gouldian Finch

 The Gouldian Finch is the only grassfinch that nests exclusively in tree hollows or holes in termite mounds.

Identification

Gouldian Finches are Australia’s most spectacularly colored grassfinches, and are perhaps the most spectacularly coloured of all Australian birds. They are small birds, with a bright green back, yellow belly and a purple breast. The facial colour is usually black, and is found in about 75% of the birds. Red-faced forms make up about 25% of the population, and rare, yellow-faced birds occur from time to time. The yellow colour results from a lack of red pigment in the red-faced birds. The males are brighter in plumage than the females. Young Gouldian Finches are dull ashy grey on the head and hind neck, becoming olive on the back and tail. The underparts are brown white, paler on chin, and have a faint yellow tinge on the belly. The upper bill is blackish and the lower bill is pinkish white. The end of the beak is tipped with red and there are pale nodules on the gape.

Habitat

As with most other grassfinch species, the Gouldian Finch is seldom found far from water, and needs to drink several times during the day. Throughout its range the species inhabits the edges of mangroves and thickets, and savannas dotted with trees.

Distribution

The Gouldian Finch is patchily distributed in tropical northern sub-coastal areas from Derby, Western Australia, to the Gulf of Carpentaria and thinly to central Cape York Peninsula, but is locally common in the north and north-western parts of its range.

Masked Finch

 The Masked Finch is medium-sized grass finch endemic to Australia’s dry northern savanna. There are two subspecies recognized; the nominate “normal” form (Poephila personata personata), and a less-common white-earned form (Poephila personata leucotis). The species are uncommon in aviculture, but the captive population is considered secure.

Housing & Compatibility

Masked finches can be housed successfully as single pairs, a colony, or as part of a mixed collection. They prefer a large planted aviary, but are generally tolerant of smaller aviaries or even a large flight cage. Some breeders find they perform better when housed in small groups of 2-3 pairs.

Masked finches will interbreed with other birds in the Poephila genus (Black-throated finches and Long-tailed finches) and produce worthless hybrids. These species must be housed separately.

They have a strong preference for large planted aviaries and enjoy hiding in long grasses.

Masked finches are generally very placid in a mixed aviary situation. They can be successfully housed with most placid finches, quail, doves, and (space permitting) Neophema parrots.

Diet & Feeding

A quality seed mix including canary seed, various millets and panicum forms the basis of the Masked finch’s diet. Seed lacks many essential vitamins and minerals which must be compensated for by introducing other foods. Sprouted seed increases the nutritional value of seed and is a cheap way to improve your birds health. Freshly grown green seed heads should also be offered frequently.

Leafy greens such as kale, bok choy, endive and silverbeet are in important part of the Masked finch’s diet. Spinach can also be given, but only sparingly as it can contribute to calcium deficiency.

Live food will be consumed during the breeding season. Small mealworms, maggots, and termites are most frequently given. Commercial softfoods—such as egg and biscuit mix—are especially loved by Masked Finches.

Breeding

Masked finches breed best in spring and autumn, with a hen bird that is at least 12 months of age. They can be fussy about mate selection, so allowing pairs to form naturally will likely result in better breeding results. Pair bonds are strong. After the death or replacement of a mate, it may take some time for the remaining bird to accept a new partner.

They typically lay 4-6 eggs in each clutch, which are incubated by both parents for approximately 14 days. Young birds fledge the nest at three weeks of age and are usually independent a month later. Young birds can be left with their parents without issue.

A wide variety of artificial nests will be accepted, though they have a preference for a dense shrub just above ground level. They will construct a dome-shaped nest from fine strands of dry grass. Masked finches demand privacy to breed successfully and will not tolerate nest inspections.

Sexing

Masked finches can be difficult to accurately sex, so DNA sexing may be required.

Experienced keepers may be able to visually sex birds with a decent level of accuracy. Hens are usually slightly smaller than males. Males have slightly larger black masks on their face and their plumage is a slightly richer brown color.

Mutations

Some mutations have been developed for this species—notably white and fawn—however they’re exceedingly rare.

Health

A strict worming and parasite control regime is essential to ensure the long-term health of any finch collection. Masked finches can be expected to live for 7-10 years.

Masked finches will spend a lot of time foraging for insects on the aviary floor, making them more susceptible to parasites and diseases that spread via droppings. Regular cleaning and preventative healthcare is a must.

Agami Heron

 Agami Heron

Agamia agami

              The Agami Heron is a medium-sized heron. It is a resident breeding bird from Central America south to Peru and Brazil. It is sometimes known as the Chestnut-bellied Heron, and is the only member of the genus “Agamia”.

The colorful, reclusive Agami Heron is a coveted sighting for birders visiting flooded lowland forests and slow-moving waterways of Central and South America. This long-billed, medium-sized heron is so distinctive that it occupies its own genus, Agamia. Its species name, “Agami,” comes from a Cayenne Indian word for a forest bird.

In Brazil, the Agami is sometimes called Soco beija-flor, “hummingbird heron,” for its vivid plumage. It’s also commonly known as the Chestnut-bellied Heron.

Threats to Agami Heron are poorly understood, but habitat loss is probably one of the most significant factors affecting this heron and other birds that share its lowland habitat, including Mangrove Hummingbird, Great Curassow, and Harpy Eagle.

The Agami Heron’s retiring nature and preference for dense vegetation makes the species difficult to study, and its total population is still unknown. Although resident throughout its range, it moves seasonally, abandoning nesting areas for deeper forest after the breeding season.

Appearance

This uncommon and localized species is 66–76 cm in length. It is short-legged for a heron, but has a very long thin bill. This is a beautiful and unmistakable bird. The neck and underparts are chestnut, with a white line down the center of the fore neck, and the wings are green. There are wispy pale blue feathers decorating the head, sides of the foreneck, and lower back. The legs, bill, and bare facial patch are dull yellow.

The sexes are similar, but immature Agami Herons are largely brown above with a white foreneck, and streaked brown-and-white underparts.

Despite its stunning plumage, this reclusive species’ preference for shade and overhanging vegetation means that it is rarely seen at its best.

Behavior

This is a quiet bird, but pairs and family groups may make various snoring or rattling sounds.

Habitat

The Agami Heron’s habitat is forest swamps and similar wooded wetlands. They nest in colonies on platforms of sticks in trees over water, which may gather more than 100 nests. The normal clutch is two blue eggs.

Food

Agami Herons stalk their fish prey in shaded shallow water, often standing still or moving very slowly. They rarely wade in open water. They also take frogs, small reptiles, and snails.

Equal Opportunity Courtship

Unusual for birds, both male and female Agami Herons flaunt colorful courtship plumage during the breeding season. Both sexes also show heightened color in the lores (the fleshy area between the base of the bill and front of the eyes), which turn an intense red during displays.

The Agami’s spectacular courtship display begins when a male chooses a display site, then starts to “dance” with shaking plumes, rocking movements, and bill-snapping. An interested female will approach the site and perform similar displays until the male accepts her presence. This process may go on for several days, as the male may aggressively repel the female at first. After some persistence on the female’s part, the birds form a pair-bond, mate, and begin to build a nest.

Recent fieldwork has found that Agami Heron, like Reddish Egret and many other waterbirds, nest in colonies. The birds hide their nests, a loose platform of sticks, within the forest canopy.

Snowcap

 The striking Snowcap, like the Honduran Emerald and Mangrove Hummingbird, is found only in Central America. It is uncommon across its range, but when seen, it is unforgettable. The male’s plumage is a unique mix of iridescent bronzes, purples, and dark reds, contrasting with a shining white cap that stands out like a beacon in the shade of the humid forests where this species occurs. Typical of many hummingbirds, the female Snowcap has more subdued plumage — green above and white beneath, without the flashy white cap.

Additional features make this Central American specialty a sought-after sighting.

Small Wonder

At 2.5 inches long, the Snowcap is one of the of the world’s smallest hummingbirds — only a quarter of an inch longer than the tiny Bee Hummingbird of Cuba, generally considered to be the world’s most diminutive bird. Also, the Snowcap weighs less than a penny. In fact, it is so small that it’s often mistaken for a bumblebee, moth, or other large insect.

Altitude Adjustments

The Snowcap is resident in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and western Panama. It breeds in humid forests on Caribbean-facing mountain slopes, at elevations of 1,000 to 2,600 feet. After the breeding season, most descend to adjacent lowlands, a phenomenon called altitudinal migration that is seen in other birds ranging from the Resplendent Quetzal to the Rainbow-bearded Thornbill.

Although widely distributed, the Snowcap is often difficult to find, and its numbers are suspected to be declining.

Male Snowcaps sing on group display grounds, known as leks. Their song is a squeaky chatter: tsitsup tsitsup tsitsup tsuu ttsee.

Petite Pollinator

The Snowcap sips nectar at small flowers on trees, vines, shrubs, and epiphytes, ranging from high in the tree canopy down to eye level. Like other hummingbirds, it also takes tiny insects. Male Snowcaps establish feeding territories and aggressively defend them against other males and also large insects that try to feed there. Although Snowcaps will visit feeders, they are often chased away by larger, more aggressive hummingbird species.

Many native plants rely on hummingbirds like the Snowcap for pollination. The tubular flowers favored by hummingbirds exclude most bees and butterflies and, as a result, prevent pollination by any visitors except for these long-billed birds.

From Lek to Nest

During the breeding season, male Snowcaps join small leks, usually at forest edges, to sing and display to visiting females. A male’s white cap is thought to serve as a signal of his breeding fitness, as is the case with the iridescent crowns of other species such as Costa’s or Anna’s Hummingbirds.

Once a female Snowcap mates, she leaves the lek to build a nest and raise her young alone. First, she chooses a protected spot low in a shrub or tree; then she weaves her cup-shaped nest of plant fibers and mosses, lining it with soft hair and down. She reinforces her nest with elastic material such as spider webs, which allow the nest to stretch to accommodate quickly growing chicks. The female Snowcap lays two eggs, on average, and incubates them for around two weeks. She feeds her young regurgitated nectar and insects, the latter providing protein for quick growth. Young Snowcaps grow rapidly and leave the nest after only two to three weeks.

Tiny Bird Faces Big Threat

The chief threat to the Snowcap is habitat loss from deforestation. Although locally common in some places, this tiny hummingbird is thought to be declining across its range.

ABC has supported the Tirimbina Biological Reserve in Costa Rica, which protects Snowcap habitat. That reserve is a partner in our Latin American Bird Reserve Network. In 2009, ABC supported the purchase of easements totaling nearly 11,000 acres to expand Braulio Carrillo National Park in Costa Rica, which also provides habitat for this lovely hummingbird.

Frill-necked monarch

 The Frill-necked monarch (Arses lorealis), is a species of monarch flycatcher in the Monarchidae family. It is endemic to the rainforests of the northern Cape York Peninsula. It was considered a subspecies of the related frilled monarch (Arses telescophthalmus) for many years before being reclassified as a separate species in 1999 by Schodde and Mason, and upheld by Christidis and Boles in 2008.

Taxonomy

The frill-necked monarch was first described in 1895 by English ornithologist and ex-clergyman Charles Walter De Vis, from a specimen collected by Kendall Broadbent that year. However, undescribed specimens had existed in the Macleay Museum in Sydney and the National Museum in Melbourne for twenty years beforehand. The first eggs were collected by H. G. Barnard the following year in Somerset, Cape York.

The frill-necked monarch is a member of a group of birds termed monarch flycatchers. This group is considered either as a subfamily Monarchinae, together with the fantails as part of the drongo family Dicruridae, or as a family Monarchidae in its own right. Molecular research in the late 1980s and early 1990s revealed the monarchs belong to a large group of mainly Australasian birds known as the Corvida parvorder comprising many tropical and Australian passerines. More recently, the grouping has been refined somewhat as the monarchs have been classified in a ‘Core corvine’ group with the crows and ravens, shrikes, birds of paradise, fantails, drongos and mudnest builders.

Description

The frill-necked monarch measures around 14 cm (5.5 in) in length, and the neck feathers can become erect into a small frill; the male is predominantly black and white, and can be distinguished from the similar and more common pied monarch by its all-white breast-the latter species having a broad black breast band. The throat, nape, shoulders, and rump are white while the wings and head are black. It has an eye-ring of bare skin, and a bright blue wattle. The bill is pale blue-grey and the eyes are dark. The female is similar but lacks the eye-ring and has white lores and a brownish tinged chest.

Distribution and Habitat

The range is the from the top of the Cape York Peninsula southwest to Weipa, and southeast as far as the Iron Range and Coen. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Breeding

Breeding season is November to February with one brood raised. The nest is a shallow cup made of vines and sticks, woven together with spider webs and shredded plant material, and decorated with lichen. It is generally sited on a hanging loop of vine well away from the trunk or foliage of a sizeable tree about 2–10 metres (6.6–32.8 ft) above the ground. Two pink-tinged oval white eggs splotched with lavender and reddish-brown are laid measuring 19 mm x 14 mm.

Alectoris Chukar

 The Chukar is an introduced game bird from southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia into North America. This game bird has made its habitat in the central parts of the US on the east side of the Rocky Mountains. They are mostly seen in Nevada and Idaho but are expanding into other nearby states.

The chukar is a non-native species that was introduced to North America as a game bird in the late 1800s. It is native to the mountainous areas of the Middle East and Asia from eastern Greece and southeastern Bulgaria through Asia Minor east to Manchuria China. It is a  member of the pheasant family.

ChukarIt stands about 13-15 inches in length and has a light grayish-brown back and wings and a white belly. Its head, chest and rear are gray and it has white cheeks and a white throat surrounded by a black band. It has black stripes on its sides and a black band across its forehead. Its bill, eyelids, feet and legs are pink to dark red. Males and females look alike.

Range

The chukar can be found from British Columbia and Alberta south to California and Colorado. The chukar has also been introduced to Hawaii. It is also found in Europe and Asia.

 Habitat

The chukar lives on rocky, arid hillsides and mountain slopes and canyon walls. It is also found in open and flat desert areas with little vegetation and on barren plateaus. It is an altitudinal migrator and will move from higher elevations to lower elevations during snowy weather.

Diet

The chukar feed on seeds, grasses, bulbs, stems, fruit and leaves. It also eats small amounts of insects like grasshoppers, caterpillars, crickets and ants.

 Life Cycle

Male and female chukars form pairs from February through April. The male will perform a courtship ritual that involves head-tilting and showing his barred flanks. Both the male and female will call out to each other and peck at objects on the ground.

The female lays 8-15 eggs in a scrape lined with grass, leaves and feathers within the shelter of rocks or brush. The male will often leave the female after she has laid her eggs. The chicks hatch after about 24 days and will leave the nest and start feeding on insects shortly after hatching. They will begin to fly when they are about two weeks old.

Behavior

The chukar rarely flies. It is a good runner and can also hop across the rocky terrain in its habitat. Except for during breeding season, chukars live in coveys of up to 40 birds.

The Superb Fairy-wren

 The Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) is an iconic Australian bird. It is a much loved little bird, it is reasonably common in many parts of south-eastern Australia, particularly in urban environments, and it can be quite confiding.

The Superb Fairy-wren took the title of Australian Bird of the Year for 2021, in a poll run by The Guardian Australia. More than 400,000 votes were cast in ten days. The fairy-wren polled 13,998 votes, just ahead of the popular Tawny Frogmouth with 13,332 votes.

The species has become famous for its complex breeding system, involving polyamory and cuckoldry. It is a co-operative breeding species, where all members of a family group defend a territory and raise young. This breeding system has been studied at the Australian National University for over 30 years, and includes other cooperative breeders such as the White-winged Chough and White-browed Scrubwren. Some species may have just the one helper. The fairy-wren usually has one or two, but up to seven has been recorded. The chough can have many helpers and lives in family groups of up to 20 — a group consists of a dominant breeding pair and young from previous years.

Below is a snapshot of the Superb Fairy-wren plate from the Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. The plate clearly depicts the breeding and eclipse plumages of the male, and the basic brown plumage of the female.

• Females run the show, and are known to visit and mate with neighboring males, before dawn.
• If a male raises four young, on average only one will be his.
• Young males are usually the ones to stay with their parents and perform the role of helper.

National Bird of Guatemala: The Resplendent Quetzal

 Have you ever wondered which birds are considered the most beautiful ones on Earth? No matter who’s making the list, it is safe to say that you will probably find the national bird of Guatemala on it. This bird is known for its brilliant green plumage, rich red underparts, shaggy green crest, and most of all, its long wispy tail feathers extending twice the length of the bird itself. We are speaking of course, about the RESPLENDENT QUETZAL – which is found in the lush cloud forests of Central America and is one of the most spectacular looking birds on Earth.

A Truly Resplendent Bird

The Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) is truly, as its name says, resplendent. There could be no better way to describe this bird. On top of the above description, the male Resplendent Quetzal has decorative covert feathers on its wings that curve towards its belly. It has large dark eyes adapted for good vision in the dark forest understory and a bright yellow bill. Its tail has snowy white squared off feathers, but it’s the long tail plumes that really captivate us. Males and females are sexually dimorphic, meaning they look different. Females lack the long tail feathers, shaggy crest, and are duller overall. The Resplendent Quetzal is the largest member of its family. It is 36-40 cm long, and the tail feathers of the male add another 65 cm to its overall length.

Quetzals are members of the trogon family, Trogonidae. The family contains 46 species distributed through tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Trogons reach their greatest diversity in the Neotropics, where 25 species of trogons reside as well as 6 species of quetzals. The Resplendent Quetzal is one of 5 species of quetzals in the genus Pharomachrus. It is the only species of quetzal distributed throughout Central America. It ranges from southern Mexico to western Panama.

Natural History of the Resplendent Quetzal

We can find the Resplendent Quetzal in cool montane cloud forests of Central America. It easily blends into the epiphyte-draped foliage of cloud forests with its bright green iridescent plumage. Resplendent Quetzals are fairly common throughout their range in suitable habitat. They feed on a variety of fruits, especially little avocados of the laurel family. In fact, they play an important role in assisting with the dispersal of this fruit’s seeds. Quetzals will also eat insects and small vertebrates including frogs and lizards. They can hover and stall mid-flight to pluck fruits from the branches.

Resplendent Quetzals are territorial, monogamous breeders, but are solitary during the non-breeding season. Like other members of the trogon family, they are cavity nesters. They excavate their own cavities in soft, decomposing tree trunks using their stout, strong bills. They breed from March to June, varying in different locations within their range. Both males and females are involved in all aspects of breeding, from nest building and incubation to rearing the young after they fledge. Males tend to incubate during the day and females take over the role at night. When the male is inside the nesting cavity, its long tail feathers wrap around and stick back out the hole. The incubation period is approximately 18 days, and chicks fledge at three weeks of age.

Why the National Bird of Guatemala?

Guatemala declared the Resplendent Quetzal as its national bird in 1871. The quetzal was chosen as the national bird from nearly 750 species of birds found in Guatemala, showing just how special it is. It is revered in the country, and its cultural importance dates way back to the Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations.

The Resplendent Quetzal was a sacred bird in both Aztec and Mayan cultures, where priests and royalty wore quetzal feathers during ceremonial events. It is culturally associated with the “snake god,” Quetzalcoatl. In Mayan culture, it was forbidden to kill a quetzal. However, they were frequently trapped, had their tail feathers removed, and then were released back into the wild. These cultures revered the quetzal as the “god of the air,” and as symbols of light, freedom, and wealth.

The Quetzal is highly emblematic in Guatemala. The coat of arms, flag, postage stamps, currency, and countless souvenirs all carry the image of the quetzal. The Guatemalan Quetzal (GTQ) is the national currency of Guatemala.

REGENT BOWERBIRD

 THE REGENT BOWERBIRD (Sericulus chrysocephalus) is not only incredibly beautiful and intelligent, but the species has given rise to one of the rarest birds in Australia – a hybrid of the regent and satin species, which has only ever been photographed twice.

bowerbird, any of approximately 20 bird species that constitute the family Ptilonorhynchidae of the order Passeriformes. Bowerbirds are birds of Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands that build more or less elaborate structures on the ground. Some are called catbirds, gardeners, and stagemakers. The male builds the bower, and he displays and sings loudly in or above it; females visit him there and lay their eggs in simple nests some distance away. The bowers, beset with all kinds of shiny and coloured objects, are of three kinds:

Endemic to Australia, the regent bowerbird is found throughout the rainforests and leafy coasts of eastern Australia, all the way up in central Queensland, and down into New South Wales.

They display striking sexual dimorphism – the males, as seen above, are covered in silky black plumage, with glossy golden feathers on the ends of their wings, and pouring down over their heads like a thick, molten crown. The females, of course, are a dull, speckledy olive colour.

Bower construction and tool use

During the breeding season, a male will spend approximately three percent of his day constructing and maintaining his bower, built from an array of sticks maneuvered into a short, roofless corridor shape. This is obviously a very small portion of his day, and much less significant than the time other bowerbird species spend on theirs, most likely because the regent bowerbird male likes to begin his courtship routine up in the canopy.

The “mat,” or “platform,” type consists of a thick pad of plant material, ringed or hung about with objects, made by Archbold’s bowerbird (Archboldia papuensis). The stagemaker, or tooth-billed catbird (Scenopoeetes dentirostris), of forests of northeastern Australia, arranges leaves silvery-side up (withered ones are carried aside) to form a “circus ring.”

The “maypole” type consists of a tower of twigs erected around one or more saplings in a cleared court. The golden bowerbird (Prionodura newtoniana) makes a rooflike bridge from tower to tower. Male gardeners, any of the four species of the genus Amblyornis, plant a lawn of tree moss around the maypole and embellish it with flowers, berries, and other objects. The brown, or crestless, gardener (A. inornatus), lacking the orangish crown of the other species, makes the fanciest garden and a hut big enough to resemble a child’s playhouse.

The “avenue” type consists of two close-set parallel walls of sticks, interwoven and sometimes overarching, on a circular mat of twigs. Avenues are made by the satin bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus); the regent bowerbird (Sericulus chrysocephalus) and its relatives; and the spotted bowerbird (Chlamydera maculata) and its relatives. Satin and regent bowerbirds make a paint of vegetable pulp, charcoal, and saliva and apply it to the interior walls; a daub of green leaves may be used—a rare instance of a bird using a tool.