bowerbird

noun

bow·​er·​bird ˈbau̇(-ə)r-ˌbərd How to pronounce bowerbird (audio)
: any of a family (Ptilonorhynchidae) of passerine birds of Australia and New Guinea in which the male builds a chamber or passage arched over with twigs and grasses, often adorned with bright-colored objects, and used especially to attract the female

Examples of bowerbird in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The male bowerbird follows the same principle as many men: Show off in every possible way. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024 In the forests of Australia, the male great bowerbird uses the same effect to woo his mate. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 19 Jan. 2012 In nearly every species of bowerbird, males impress females by building elaborate structures called bowers: long, twiggy corridors that open to a courtyard decorated with small objects. Kat McGowan, Discover Magazine, 10 July 2012 Ochre decoration requires far more complicated cognitive processes than, for example, an Australasian bowerbird arranging sparkling glass and other baubles around its nest to attract a mate. Agustín Fuentes, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2020 The bowerbird, which lives on the east coast of Australia, has an abiding eye for anything blue. Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 5 Jan. 2023 Here is a nest built by a satin bowerbird (Amblyornis inornata) and decorated with blue flowers, berries, and bits of plastic. Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2011 This chromatic fealty is less a matter of design sense than of courtship; the behavior is just one of the bowerbird’s mating tactics. Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 5 Jan. 2023 After all, the bowerbird’s behaviour has only just been discovered. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 19 Jan. 2012

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bowerbird was in 1841

Dictionary Entries Near bowerbird

Cite this Entry

“Bowerbird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bowerbird. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

bowerbird

noun
bow·​er·​bird ˈbau̇(-ə)r-ˌbərd How to pronounce bowerbird (audio)
: any of various birds of Australia and New Guinea of which the male builds a chamber or passage arched over with twigs and branches and often ornamented with bright-colored objects especially to attract the female

More from Merriam-Webster on bowerbird

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!