Vogelkop Bowerbird

Amblyornis inornata

Plain brown bird, extraordinary architect.

Population: No quantified global population count published; BirdLife/IUCN describe it as widespread and common within its range, with a decreasing population trend attributed to habitat loss and hunting
Habitat: Montane rainforest, roughly 1,000-2,075 m elevation (mainly 1,200-2,000 m), often on ridge spines and sloping ground where bowers are built
Fun fact: The male Vogelkop bowerbird, despite being one of the drabbest-plumaged bowerbirds, builds the largest and most elaborate bower of any bird — a cone-shaped hut roughly 100 cm tall and 160 cm across with a decorated "garden" of flowers, fruit, and shiny beetle elytra that he curates and rearranges, prizing novel objects over any fixed color scheme (rare items even become theft targets among rival males).
Range: Endemic to northwest New Guinea, Indonesia — Vogelkop (Bird's Head) Peninsula, Onin Peninsula, Bomberai Peninsula, and Wandammen Mountains (Extent of Occurrence ~80,400 km²)
Diet: Omnivorous forager taking mainly fruit, with seeds and insects supplementing the diet seasonally
Size: 0.25 m
Lifespan: 20 years

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