"It’s a reminder of how human activity is changing the natural world in unanticipated ways.”
See full article...
See full article...
Male bowerbirds prefer colorful human items to decorate bowers
- Thread starter JournalBot
- Start date
I can't remember if it was Bowerbirds specifically, but I remember there was a big fuss about milk bottle rings being blue, because some birds were getting the rings around their necks and suffocating. Satin Bowerbirds, or something like that?
Upvote
11
(11
/
0)
chaos215bar2
Ars Praefectus
Seems like the major difference with human objects is simply that they don't decompose. Colorful fruits and leaves will only last so long, but with glass and plastic, the bird can just keep adding to the collection.
Which raises the question, is this a true change in behavior, or is the only major change that the urban birds don't have to discard aging items?
Which raises the question, is this a true change in behavior, or is the only major change that the urban birds don't have to discard aging items?
Upvote
40
(40
/
0)
It appears they are trying to find the most novel gifts, including shape not just color.
Humans, the physical slop machines, will oblige them by leaving trash everywhere.
Humans, the physical slop machines, will oblige them by leaving trash everywhere.
Upvote
27
(27
/
0)
Yes. Satin Bowerbirds love bright blue things. We have a nest near our place on the South Coast of NSW.
Here’s a photo I took a while ago of a nest in Tathra NSW.
Attachments
Upvote
49
(49
/
0)
Very colorful, nice layout, and it ruffles my feathers. Maybe a nice gentleman lives there.
Upvote
29
(29
/
0)
Which is why you should always cut any sort of plastic ring/circle that goes in recycling or garbage. Also rinse and flatten - the tops at least - of food cans. Lots of animals get their heads/snouts stuck in cans. Rinsing the food out helps prevent them from sticking it in to begin with. Loads of vids on YT showing cops and people helping out animals in this predicament....
Cop helps skunk with cup stuck on his head
Upvote
19
(19
/
0)
What a confusing experience this must've been for the poor birds. One day, all your shinies up and disappear, only to be replaced by a bunch of new stuff you've never seen before. Then, a couple days later, after you've gone through all the trouble of picking through this new stuff, all your old stuff suddenly reappears!
Upvote
54
(54
/
0)
TIL Stephen Wright is a bowerbird.
"Today I came home to find everything in my house had been stolen and replaced with an exact replica."
Upvote
17
(17
/
0)
Upvote
18
(18
/
0)
Nora Lenderbee
Ars Tribunus Militum
I've met folks like that, who fill up their digs with all kinds of tchotchkes, gimcracks, baubles, gewgaws and colorful gizmos, and then hope to attract a mate. Oddly enough, it often seems to work. Maybe we aren't all that far removed from our dinosaur and pack-rat ancestors.
Upvote
20
(20
/
0)
Don't think of it as a story about pollution; let's focus on the 'science confirms chicks dig consumer capitalism' angle!
Upvote
21
(21
/
0)
Really ARSers, no comment on the handcuffs? I'm dissapointed.
ETA: Guess my mind thinking kink bird sex says too much about me.
ETA: Guess my mind thinking kink bird sex says too much about me.
Last edited:
Upvote
18
(19
/
-1)
I'd even suggest human society has come to artificially boost this behavior?
"Back then", in evolutionary terms, this kind of advertisement was probably a representation of a potential mate's individual creativity and skill at sourcing items in a direct competition between suitors.
Today, this individual skill at procurement has largely been replaced by the wealthiest members of society more often abusing a privileged upbringing to then just pay others for bringing them whatever item gets popularized by media influencers.
And then our entertainment machinery ensures that young kids grow up believing this is what they ought to value and aspire to.
Upvote
6
(6
/
0)
Any of them collect the venomous octopus....?
Kidding of course, that would be silly.
Upvote
3
(3
/
0)
Some people find that disturbing.
https://soranews24.com/2021/04/10/j...omens-shoes-and-replacing-them-with-new-ones/
Upvote
1
(1
/
0)
What I like about articles like this is that they sometimes make me question what I think I know.
I was going to post that the UK Magpie is similarly attracted to shiny objects, but it turns out that's not actually true. In fact they apparently display neophobia where shiny objects are concerned and are more likely to interact with dull objects. Being corvids though they are still worryingly clever and curious about stuff.
I remember someone saying that if you befriend a crow, you befriend the entire flock (or murder). Similarly, if you anger or hurt one, the entire flock will seek revenge on you.
Someone (almost certainly anecdotal, but funny) once posted "Help! I accidentally killed a crow and now the rest won't leave me alone! What do I do?", and the answer he got was "Move house. Seriously. You're fucked."
I was going to post that the UK Magpie is similarly attracted to shiny objects, but it turns out that's not actually true. In fact they apparently display neophobia where shiny objects are concerned and are more likely to interact with dull objects. Being corvids though they are still worryingly clever and curious about stuff.
I remember someone saying that if you befriend a crow, you befriend the entire flock (or murder). Similarly, if you anger or hurt one, the entire flock will seek revenge on you.
Someone (almost certainly anecdotal, but funny) once posted "Help! I accidentally killed a crow and now the rest won't leave me alone! What do I do?", and the answer he got was "Move house. Seriously. You're fucked."
Upvote
12
(12
/
0)
I'm a little surprised about the colour preferences mentioned in the article, because I've seen a few bowers - and every bower I've seen featured blue items. I thought that blue was a universal characteristic of bowers. Apparently I was wrong about that.
The article talks about rural vs urban. But I wonder if there are significant differences correlated with country.
The article talks about rural vs urban. But I wonder if there are significant differences correlated with country.
Upvote
4
(4
/
0)
Did it work for the little fellow?
My 'honey, look, I've got a new guitar' did not
My 'honey, look, I've got a new guitar' did not
Upvote
3
(3
/
0)
I believe this is a uniform experience across the natural world....
Upvote
1
(1
/
0)
Many human men also prefer to dazzle females with bright human-made items. Say what you will about humans but we make some good bling
️ and nature has taken notice. 
️ and nature has taken notice.
Upvote
4
(4
/
0)
I wrote a final report on these little guys in my animal behavior class in undergrad. This is a really fascinating study on how our waste / affects the environment in more subtle ways.
Upvote
4
(4
/
0)
Upvote
3
(3
/
0)
