Overview
- The University of Exeter paper published June 2, 2026 documents that male great bowerbirds in Townsville, Australia use far more human-made decorations than rural males.
- Fieldwork in the 2023 breeding season monitored 61 males at an urban site and a rural site and used visible and ultraviolet photography to record decorations as birds see them.
- Urban bowers averaged about 90 items versus about 20 in rural bowers and were more than ten times likelier to contain human-made objects such as plastic, glass and wire.
- A controlled removal-and 'slush-pile' experiment showed both urban and rural males strongly preferred human-made items when offered a mixed supply.
- Researchers note the likely effects include reduced search time and changed visual contrast for displays but say female choice, mating success and long-term fitness impacts remain unmeasured and are the next research priorities.