Fire-maned Bowerbird
Encyclopedia
The Fire-maned Bowerbird, Sericulus bakeri is a medium-sized, approximately 27 cm long, bowerbird
that inhabits and endemic
to the forests of Adelbert Mountains in Papua New Guinea
. The striking male is black with fiery orange crown and upperback, elongated neck plumes, yellow iris
and golden yellow wing patch. The female is a brown bird with brown-barred whitish underparts.
Its diet consists mainly of figs, ants and insects. The bower itself is that of "avenue"-type with two sides of wall of sticks.
The Fire-maned Bowerbird was discovered in 1928 by Rollo Beck
. The female was unknown to science until 1959.
Due to ongoing habitat loss and limited range, the Fire-maned Bowerbird is evaluated as near threatened on the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species.
Bowerbird
Bowerbirds make up the bird family Ptilonorhynchidae. The family has 20 species in eight genera. These are medium-sized passerines, ranging from the Golden Bowerbird to the Great Bowerbird...
that inhabits and endemic
Endemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
to the forests of Adelbert Mountains in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. The striking male is black with fiery orange crown and upperback, elongated neck plumes, yellow iris
Iris (anatomy)
The iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupils and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. "Eye color" is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown. In some cases it can be hazel , grey, violet, or even pink...
and golden yellow wing patch. The female is a brown bird with brown-barred whitish underparts.
Its diet consists mainly of figs, ants and insects. The bower itself is that of "avenue"-type with two sides of wall of sticks.
The Fire-maned Bowerbird was discovered in 1928 by Rollo Beck
Rollo Beck
Rollo Howard Beck was an American ornithologist, bird collector and explorer. Beck's Petrel is named after him.-Early years:...
. The female was unknown to science until 1959.
Due to ongoing habitat loss and limited range, the Fire-maned Bowerbird is evaluated as near threatened on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of Threatened Species.