The Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney

What on Earth is that bird doing?

Have you ever wondered what a bird is saying when it sings? Or why that cockatoo wants to steal your lunch? Birds behave the way they do for lots of different reasons. Let’s learn more.

bird eating orange berry

Have you ever had a crush on somebody? What did you do to get them to notice you? Did you know birds do the same sort of thing? 

In the bird world, the males show off to get females to like them. Birds can’t flex their arm muscles, score a goal or hold a girl’s hand so they have to come up with different ways to impress girls. Some birds sing, some dance, some look pretty and some build works of art.

Which bird show-off are you?

You love...You can't stop...
a) Singinga) Copying other people’s songs and sometimes their car alarms. 
b) Dancingb) Shaking your tail feathers with weird dance moves. 
c) Building thingsc) Stealing blue pegs.

 

If you answered a) for both, you are a LYREBIRD! Watch the BBC Earth video to see a lyrebird in action.

If you answered b) for both, you are a BIRD OF PARADISE! Watch the Life's A Stage video to check out their cool moves. Most of these birds live in New Guinea, but there are a few that live in northern Australia. 

If you answered c) for both, you are a BOWERBIRD! Check out the photos of a bower and all the things the Bowerbird has used to make it pretty. Can you guess what a Bowerbird’s favourite colour is?

Attenborough: the amazing Lyre Bird sings like a chainsaw! (BBC Earth)

Life's a Stage (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

a male satin bowerbird
bowerbird nest filled with blue objects

What is a Bowerbird's favourite colour?

The male Bowerbird builds a bower and adds things he thinks are pretty to catch the eye of a female. Can you guess what a Bowerbird's favourite colour is?

Match the busy birds

When they are not showing off, birds get up to lots of different things. Can you match the birds with what they are doing?