Bower birds build elaborate structures, called bowers, out of everything from leaves and sticks to bottle caps and clothespins.

View additional resources, online and in print, for NATURE's "Bower Bird Blues."

View additional resources, online and in print, for NATURE's "Bower Bird Blues."

Scientists know that the amorous architects of the bird world build three basic kinds of bowers: "maypoles," "mats," and "avenues." But only now are they beginning to discover the reasons behind the existence of these different forms.

Using high-tech tools, researchers are gaining some new insights into the mating habits of the bower bird, long hidden from prying eyes by the bird's dense tropical forest home.

Australia's male bower bird is an accomplished avian architect that has long fascinated scientists with its remarkably complex courting behavior.