To celebrate Mothers Day – What kind of bird mum are you? It’s the boys of the bird world that grab all the attention with flashy feathers, over-the-top tails, vocal impersonations and devilish dances. However, it’s the unsung mums that are the true heroes as far as bringing up the kids is concerned. Two of our local favourites, the satin bowerbird and superb lyrebird are incredible mothers. They both have turned single parenting into an artform. By contrast, no one could be less maternal than a brush turkey mum, the ultimate feminist! We love their varied approaches to parenting, and possibly see aspects of ourselves in their behaviour. We salute them all this Mothers Day.
The male bowerbird is the original party boy, dressed to impress in iridescent blue plumage and violet-coloured eyes. Females, on the other hand, are a sensible green and brown to blend into their surroundings. Young males up to the age of 7 years are the same colour as the ladies which must cause some confusion on first dates.
To attract a mate, the male performs a ritualized and well-rehearsed song and dance routine in his exquisitely decorated bower. All things blue are added to impress the fussy females who visit various bowers and make their choice. It’s the older more experienced ladies that are the hardest to please. The bower is their disco and dad is there to show them a good time. After the loving, the pregnant mum basically does everything to bring up the babies.
She makes the nest – usually high in a tree to protect nestlings from predators such as goannas. She lays and incubates the eggs, camouflaging them with gum leaves while off looking for food. And once the chicks hatch, the mum alone feeds them a healthy diet of protein rich insects. This results in fast growing chicks who are able to fly by 3 weeks, but remain in her care for another 2 months. Meanwhile, the distracted male bowerbird fusses over his man-cave throughout the year in the hope of attracting another mate.
The impressive repertoire of male superb lyrebirds is well-known. David Attenborough labelled it the “most complex and most beautiful song in the world”. But it was only in recent years, when researchers turned their attention to the female, that her incredible singing ability was recognised. Possessing the same vocal range, the females use their voice to defend their territory from other females and predators, even impersonating hawks for this purpose.
Male lyrebirds are conspicuously absent when it comes to nest-building, incubation, brooding or feeding young. They busy themselves in the endless quest for ladies, looking for love, and defending their dance space from other males. The males with the most accurate and wide-ranging mimicry earning the most attention from females, one of the most magical sounds of the mountains.
As they are too heavy to fly far, feather-lined nests are at ground level or on rocks, tree stumps or in caves, and though camouflaged by vegetation they are an easy target for goannas and foxes. The nesting site is vigorously defended, and the scent trail reduced with the meticulous removal of all droppings. She lays only 1 egg which she incubates for 7 weeks, and the fledgeling remains in her care for up to a year, putting extra burden on the hardworking mum.
Brush Turkey mums literally drop and run when they lay their eggs in the enormous incubation mound, meticulously curated by the male. They take months to prepare, and some optimistic ones prepare more than one, presumably feeling lucky in love and having a bountiful supply of mulch, making them very unpopular with urban gardeners. Egg laden females lay up to 20 large eggs which are then nurtured by the dad for the next 50 days. As heat is generated by the rotting vegetation, the male probes the mound with his sensitive beak to keep the temperature perfect, ensuring he doesn’t cook his offspring. The eggs that have not been dug up by goannas or foxes then hatch and receive no parental care at all. In the true meaning of the word precocious, they can walk, feed and fly within hours of emerging.
Whether you relate to the nurturing bowerbird or laissez faire brush turkey, here’s to all mums, the source of life.
Happy Mothers Day!
When you book your stay at Wildside Sanctuary, you will see or hear many iconic Australian birds. Wake up to the laugh of kookaburras, breakfast with the birds. Brightly coloured king parrots and rosellas decorate the trees, listen out for the creaky gate call of endangered Gang-gang cockatoos. Early risers may hear lyrebirds, whip birds, wattyl birds and many finches, firetails and tree climbers. Flashy satin bowerbirds and brush turkeys are regulars here. At night, you will hear the resonating hoot of Boobook owls.
Book a private bird tour with an expert local guide to open your eyes and ears to the incredible world of birds, a daily drama unfolds every day. Whether you’re a seasoned birder and completely new to it, time spent out in nature has proven health benefits to reduce stress and anxiety. People with depression, as well as those without a mental-health condition, experience significant improvements in wellbeing when they spend time with birds. This connection we have with nature is a lot like being in love, it’s a profound attachment. Check out our Experiences Page for more details on private wildlife tours and for Mothers Day we suggest Romance Packages at Wildside Sanctuary.
