Our examination of 56 live Bower's Shrike-thrushes Colluricincla boweri during 88 captures and
of 25 skin specimens showed the species to be sexually monomorphic in size but dimorphic in
plumage, contrary to contemporary literature. Adult females have a pale bill and retain the apparently
juvenile characters of a rufous superciliary stripe, pale eye-ring feathers and rufous lores. whereas
adult males have no rufous superciliary stripe and have pale greyish lores, grey eye-ring feathers,
and a black bill. Fifteen active nests and their sites agree with previous data but we report here the
first three egg clutch and note that six eggs measured by us were larger than previous measurements.
Published illustrations of this bird are reviewed because they are misleading, have caused confusion.
and, in one instance, have clearly illustrated the sexual dimorphism we describe.

Bird banding was performed in lower montane rainforest of Tari Gap, Southern Highlands, Papua
New Guinea, during eight weeks of each of three consecutive years, at seven netting sites. A total of
1 174 captures of 50 species were made, involving 895 individual birds. Of 279 recaptures, 228 were
birds we banded and 51 were birds banded during previous studies. Of the 201 individual birds
involved in recaptures, only seven of six species were not retrapped at their orginal capture point. The
furthest movement of an individual was 2.7 km by a Papuan Scrubwren Sericornis papuensis.
Morphometric, moult and brood patch data are presented and discussed.

We caught 50 (54%) of a potential c. 93 species in our study area. The mean capture rate was
0.56 birds per hour by 13 m of mist net, and this is compared with other New Guinea mist-netting
results. Longevity records of more than a year are reported for 1 7 species, the longest being of 61
months. Several species are recorded at new upper altitudinal limits at Tari Gap. Breeding activity
increased during September-November, and the percentage of birds moulting increased during
September (38%) to January (70%). Moult was noted in 48 species, and seasonal data is presented
for 30.

Eighty active Great Bowerbird Chlamydera nuchalis bowers were examined of which 54 were
measured and 61 plotted in the suburbs of Townsville City, tropical E. Queensland, where the species
was reported by earlier authors to be absent or uncommon. The average number of years a bower
was known to have been in use at 54 sites was 4.4 (range 1-13, SD= 3.3) and seven of them were
known to be so for more than a decade. Mean nearest neighbour distance of 45 bowers was 790 m
(range 300-1 875, SD= 378.4). Of 54 bowers examined only four had a structure(s) additional to the
two parallel walls that constitute the avenue bower typical of this species. Bower shape, quality and
size are described and discussed. Compass orientation of the bower avenue was strongly biased
toward a NNW-SSE alignment, and 76% of bowers were orientated within 45° either side of the
N-S axis. While only 32% were within 45° either side of the E-W axis. The main display platform was
to the E half of the compass in 60% of 54 bowers. Sixty-three per cent of bowers had their main
display platform orientated within the quarter of the compass centred on the NNW-SSE axis. Compass
orientation of bower avenue and main display platform are discussed with respect to previously
observed biases and these findings are compared with data for other avenue bower-building bowerbird
species. A plausible explanation for observed orientations is that males orientate their bowers to
maximize advantageous illumination of their display decorations and postures during mornings of the
annual peak courtship season, but further studies are required.

Spotted Catbirds Ailuroedus melanotis, Tooth-billed Bowerbirds Scenopoeetes dentirostris and Golden
Bowerbirds Prionodura newtoniana were individually marked, measured and examined for moult in upland tropical
rainforest on the Paluma Range, northern Queensland. Their adult measurements were compared with those of
museum specimens. Biometrical data presented provide information on variation in size and weights for each
sex and age group in all three species. Adult female Spotted Catbirds and Tooth-billed Bowerbirds had shorter
wings and tails than adult males and adult female Spotted Catbirds also had smaller bills than adult males.
Golden Bowerbirds were distinctive in that females were the larger-billed sex but had a tail only 81 per cent as
long as that of adult males. Bowerbirds lost weight in September-October, at the beginning of their display and
breeding season, but gained weight as the season progressed. The overall moult period for all three species
was December to March inclusive, the peak moulting months being January to March after display and breeding
declined and wet season rains had commenced. Moult of head and body plumage began before that of wing
and tail. Immature male Golden Bowerbirds without traditional bowers began moult during September and
November, whereas adult bower-owning males began moulting in late December. Primary moult was most evident
during January and March and finished, or nearly did so, by April. It started in the mid-wing, with the innermost
primary, progressing outwards from the body in both wings simultaneously. Secondary moult was most evident
during February and March and generally began when the first four or five new primaries were fully-grown or
nearly so. It began at S1 to progress toward the body and simultaneously at S7 away from the body. The central
secondaries (S3/4-6) were thus replaced last. Tail moult usually started during early stages of primary moult,
beginning with the central pair and progressing outwards. It was finished before primary moult and was most
evident during February and March. T he timing of annual moult relative to other aspects of the life histories of
these bowerbirds is discussed. Estimated mean annual survival rate and expectancy of further life after banding
was respectively: 72 per cent and 3 years for Spotted Catbirds (both sexes); 90 per cent and 9.4 years for
Tooth-billed Bowerbirds (males only) and 91 per cent and 10.9 years for Golden Bowerbirds (males only). The
oldest Spotted Catbird we recorded was aged 19 years and a Tooth-billed and Golden Bowerbird attained 20
and 21 years respectively. Both monogamous (Spotted Catbirds) and polygynous (Tooth-billed and Golden)
bowerbirds proved to be remarkably long-lived, their high survival rates being briefly discussed in the context of
the southern hemisphere and Australian passerine avifaunas.

This study is the result of a 20-year bird banding project in upland rainforest on the Paluma Range, north· eastern Queensland. During the first 13 years (1978-90) banding was carried out every year but thereafter only during 1995 and 1997, mist-netting being largely (74% of total netting hours) carried out during the first three seasons. Results provide the first long-term information on birds living in Australian upland rainforests, with emphasis on species endemic to the wet tropics or Atherton Region. Species banded were primarily those that forage within the forest subcanopy, understorey, or on the ground. Peak breeding extends from late August or September to December or early January when temperatures and rainfall increase and relatively more food
(fruits, flying insects and leaf litter invertebrates) is available. Wing flight feather (primaries and secondaries including the tertials) and tail moult mostly occurs during late November-March, with peaks during January-March (i.e. after breeding activity has declined and wet season rains have started).
Data are presented on biometrics plumages, soft part colours, characters for ageing and sexing, breeding, moult, survival, longevity, territoriality, site fidelity of individual birds and seasonal movements. Seasonal and annual variation in capture rates are given and recapture data presented for most frequently captured individuals.