Bowerbirds
[related: Birds of Paradise, disambiguated Byrds of Paradise]
A particular avian ilk of highly intelligent, creative and rigorously monogamous birds comprising the family Ptilonorhynchidae. Bowerbirds are highly dimorphic - unlike the drab and rather dull females, male bowerbirds display stunning plumage and engage in the highly intricate practice of bower building - a ritualized set of courtship-focused behaviors centering on the construction of relatively massive and visually stunning structures, sometimes accompanied by choreographed (and meticulously rehearsed) nine-part dances. There exists a purported inverse relationship between the bower complexity and brightness of plumage in individual bowerbirds. Curiously, however, no link between bower complexity and successful copulation has been confirmed, leading ornithologists to speculate that the practice of bower construction has, over time, become primarily oriented not around mating but individual artistic expression.
