AUSTRALIAN 62 MACKAY: Bower of the Fire-maned Bowerbird BIRD WATCHER and has flight similar to the Pterodroma species, being much higher above the sea surface (Harrison 1983). It is a bird of the north-west Indian Ocean where the writer has seen it in some numbers. There are, however, extra-limital records of this species from Sri Lanka (Kotogama 1980) and the Hawaiian Islands (Clapp 1971). Bulwer's Petrel breeds in the eastern tropical and subtropical Atlantic, and the north­ west and central Pacific areas. In the central Pacific it breeds on several islands including the Marquesas, the Hawaiian group, the Phoenix group and Johnston Islands. In the more northerly Pacific islands breeding is from May to September but in the Phoenix group it takes place throughout the year (Jouanin et al. 1979). So far as the writer can ascertain this is the first record for eastern Australian waters. Harrison (1980) recorded this species well off shore from Western Australia between latitudes 22°S to 8°S and longitudes l10°E to 105°E also in early November. The possible sightings of Jouanin's Petrel reported off north-western Australia at 16 os 123 °E and 14 os 122 °E during November 1979 (McKean 1980), are now thought to referlo Bulwer's Petrel (J. McKean pers. comm.). More recently Bulwer's Petrel was recorded extensively between north-west Australia and Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) during October 1987 (Dunlop, Cheshire & Wooller 1988). In his oceanographic interpretation of seabird distribution in the Indian Ocean, Pocklington (1979) found Bulwer's Petrel to be confined to what he defined as 'IS' water, i.e. intermediate salinity/temperature waters where the surface temperature range was 27.5-30°C and surface salinity ranged from 34-35.4 parts per thousand (mean 28.75 °C, 34.7 parts per thousand). The sea surface temperature for this sighting was 28.78 oc and the salinity was 34.66 parts per thousand. The nearest breeding islands are in the Phoenix group (3 °30 'S, 172 OW) and some 2520 nautical miles (4660 km) from this sighting. The writer thanks Dr David Close for his comments on a draft of this note. References Clapp, R.B. (1971), 'A specimen of Jouanin's Petrel from Lisianski Islands, N.W. Hawaiian Islands', Condor 73, 490. Dunlop, J.N., Cheshire, N.G. & Wooller, R.D. (1988), 'Observations on the marine distribution of tropicbirds, Sooty and Bridled Terns, and gadfly petrels from the eastern Indian Ocean', Rec. ~st. Aust. Mus. 14, 2'37-247. Harrison, P. (1980), 'Fremantle to Singapore', Australasian Seabird Group Newsl. 12, 32-41. -- (1983), Seabirds, An Identification Guide, Croom Helm, London. Jouanin, Chr., Mougin, J.-L., Roux, F. & Zino, A. (1979), 'Le Petrel de Bulwer Bulweria bulwerii dans l'archipel de Madere et aux iles Selvagens', L'Oiseau et R.F.O. 49, 165-184. Kotogarna, S. (1980), 'A further addition to the seabirds of Sri Lanka, Bulweria fallax Jouanin's Petrel', Loris 15, 171. McKean, J.L. (1980), 'Oceanic ornithological survey between Derby W.A. and Darwin N.T.', N.T. Nat. 1(3), 8-13. Pocklington, R. (1979), 'An oceanographic interpretation of seabird distribution in the Indian Ocean', Mar. Bioi. 51, 9-21. By N.G. CHESHIRE, 4 Willora Road, Eden Hills, S.A. 5050 Received 24 June 1988 • The Bower of the Fire-maned Bowerbird Sericulus bakeri Despite diligent but fruitless search there has been debate as to whether or not the male Fire-maned (Adelbert) Bowerbird Sericulus bakeri of New Guinea constructs a bower (Gilliard 1969, Bell 1970, Cooper & Forshaw 1977, Everett 1978). It is the only bowerbird of the bower-building genera whose bower remained unknown until found by me in 1986. However, according to Bell (in Cooper & Forshaw 1977), W. Peckover talked with Adelbert villagers who told him that the bird builds a bower like other Sericulus species. VOL. 13 (2) JUNE 1989 MACKAY: Bower of the Fire-maned Bowerbird 63 As part of an investigation of the distribution of this species, and a reconnaissance for a suitable location in the Adelbert Range for a national park or conservation area, I made a search for a bower and discussed the matter with local villagers during 8-17 September 1986 inclusive. The Fire-maned Bowerbird occurs only from 900 to 1450 metres above sea level in the Adelbert Range, Papua New Guinea, where it is little known. Mr Rollo H. Beck, a commercial collector, discovered the species (Chapin 1929) but kept the location of the birds secret, until Beck's widow informed Gilliard (1969) that the birds had been collected in the Adelbert Mountains inland of Madang, Papua New Guinea. The Adelbert Range is a chain of low mountains in t]le north of Papua New Guinea in the Madang Province. It is a heavily dissected range, the highest point being near Mt Mengham at 1640 metres. Generally the mountains are covered in lowland rainforest and hill forest up to 1450 metres with a small area of lower montane forest capping a few peaks near Mt Mengham. Access into the Adelbert Range is limited, there being no roads beyond the foothills, and there is only one airfield, Wanuma, for small aircraft only. Wanuma is at 969 metres a.s.l. on the southern slopes of the range but from there is a walking track to higher altitudes where the bowerbird occurs. Mr B. Coates of Brisbane, Australia, and myself were dropped by helicopter 100 metres from llebaguma village (4 °51'S, 145 "26'30 "E) at 1000 metres a.s.l. We stayed in villages and patrolled surrounding areas. An active bower was found by a native woman, Ningowa of llebaguma village, while she was hunting small mammals approximately one week before my arrival. On 8 September we were led about 2 km eastwards through forest to the bower. To confirm the identity of the bower owner I set up a hide to observe and photograph the bird. A Fire-maned Bowerbird in full male plumage visited the bower for a few seconds only over several days but only the bower was photographed 21). Bower of Fire-maned Bowerbird Sericulus bakeri, Debaguma, Adelbert Range, Papua New Guinea, September 1986 Plate 21 Photo: Roy D. Mackay AUSTRALIAN 64 MACKAY: Bower of the Fire-maned Bowerbird BIRD WATCHER The bower was constructed on a slight slope, near the bottom of a steep (50"?) north-facing slope, 60 metres or so from the ridge crest where a walking track lay. The surrounding forest is classified as Hill Forest (Paijmans 1976). The bower was essentially similar to that of the Regent Bowerbird S. chrysocephalus of Australia and the Flame BowerbirdS. aureus of New Guinea (Bell 1970). It was an avenue of fine twigs, externally (including the platform) measuring 20 em long, 18 em wide at ground level and 32 em high from the ground to the top of the tallest twig. The base platform was 3 em thick with a depression in the centre. Internally, from the top of the base platform, the avenue itself measured 13 em long, 7 em wide and 29 em high. The midlength diameter of eight avenue twigs ranged from 1.5 to 8.2 mm, averaging 2.8 mm; the extremes appeared to be the thinnest and thickest twigs. This bower compares well with measurements of the bowers of the Flame Bowerbird (Bell 1970) and the Regent Bowerbird (Cooper & Forshaw 1977) but is larger than the averages for those species. The bower avenue was oriented on a 263 o axis. There appeared to be no clearing of leaves, sticks or small plants from around the bower at the time I examined it. There was no low canopy over the bower; only the fairly open 20-30 metre forest canopy shaded the bower. There was no paint on the inner avenue walls of this bower, although wall painting is known for congeneric species. Decorations on the floor and western end of the bower consisted of seven dark Prussian blue berries about 1 em in diameter and one large dark blue and white fruit 2.8 em long. I left these berries, intending to collect them later for identification, but on 14 September a Spotted Catbird Ailuroedus melanotis was seen to visit the bower and swallow the berries. They were not replaced during my observations. On 12 September a male Fire-maned Bowerbird came swiftly down to the western end of the bower, looked into the avenue and then flew off. On 13 September a male carne down to near the eastern end of the bower, hopped to the end of the avenue, entered, turned around at the western end, hopped out at the eastern end and flew off. The discovery of a bower has confirmed that the bower of the Fire-maned Bowerbird is similar to those of congeneric species. Since finding the above bower, I have found several others which will be the subject of further study. I thank the Madang Provincial Government and the Provincial Secretary Mr Nicholas Genaia for permission to study in the Adelbert Range. This project was funded largely by the New York Zoological Society through the Wildlife Conservation International Committee, for which I express my gratitude. I acknowledge help in the field by Mrs Margaret Mackay, Mr Clifford B. Frith, Dr Dawn W. Frith, Mr Brian Coates and especially the villagers of the Adelbert Range. Part of this study was performed by me as an employee of the Department of Environment and Conservation, Papua New Guinea. I thank Mr Karol Kisokau, Secretary of that Department, for assistance and interest.