Specimen B 16564 Dried Skin - Spotted Bowerbird, Gunbower Area, 1857, Chlamydera maculata

Summary

This bird specimen was collected during William Blandowski's expedition to the junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers (December 1856 - December 1857). It is from a group of specimens collected 'in the neighbourhood of Gunbower' from 15-31 January 1857. Its original tag '246' is still intact and the expedition register lists this bird as a 'Spotted bowerbird'.

The Spotted Bowerbird is an inland species whose range only just extends into Victoria. In some parts of its range, particularly in Queensland and western New South Wales, it is quite common in parts of its range but appears to be declining in the south and is now almost extinct on the Murray River.