Fire-maned Bowerbirds, Sericulus bakeri
The Fire-maned Bowerbirds, Sericulus bakeri is a medium-sized, approximately 27cm 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 is unknown to science until 1959.
Due to ongoing habitat loss and limited range, the Fire-maned Bowerbird is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
