[chorus of tropical bird chatter] [thrum of insects]
[distant birds squawking]
[narrator] A superb bird of paradise calls for a mate.
[high-pitched call]
The pursuit of love is his life's work.
[high-pitched call]
But looking good is only half the story.
[whimsical music]
To seal the deal, he must charm her with his dance.
[whimsical music continues]
When it comes to courting a partner,
this superb bird of paradise is not the only bird
with an extraordinary display.
But as we'll see,
in the world of dancing birds,
it's only the most charming that succeed.
[big band theme music]
[chorus of insects and bird chatter]
This is New Guinea,
the world's largest jungle-covered island.
In these isolated mountains and valleys,
birds have evolved
some of the most bizarre courtship displays on the planet.
[rapid trilling]
-Meet the King of Saxony. -[high-pitched trilling]
He has the longest head feathers of any bird.
And they're vital for impressing a female.
But first, the king must advertise for a queen.
[high-pitched vibrato]
He shares the canopy with hundreds of birds,
but is the right one, here for him?
Mm. That could be her.
Time to head down to his display vine.
She's definitely up there...
[screeching warble]
but he needs her closer.
And when she is,
he can begin his routine.
['60s big band music]
[high-pitched trill]
She will judge him on everything.
How high he swings.
The length of his head feathers.
And how he shakes them.
The higher he scores,
the more likely she'll choose him.
[leaves rustling]
It's decision time.
So, is he the king of the swings?
[music becomes less lively]
It seems not.
Oh, well,
back to the search.
[chorus of chirping]
Attracting the perfect partner
is a challenge for all male birds of paradise.
So some increase their chances
by having a permanent address.
[whimsical classical music]
An old, wobbly tree stump.
The top is just three meters off the forest floor.
It doesn't look much,
but it means everything
to this black sicklebill.
Or SB for short.
Every morning, SB comes here
in the hope of attracting a female.
[powerful chirrup]
And if he can't always be seen...
-[raucous chirruping] -he can be heard.
[chirruping]
[loud chirrup]
Even in the dense understory, his calls travel far.
[emphatic chirrup]
And, when it comes to first impressions,
he has a neat trick up his sleeve.
For years, no one knew why
the black sicklebill had these strange shoulder plumes.
But then, who could have imagined... this?
[warbling electronic sound]
[chirps]
[whimsical music]
With no shortage of food in these forests,
male birds of paradise can focus on one thing...
-attracting a mate. -[warbling electronic sound]
[rapid tapping]
His shiny badge of feathers is a sign that he's in tip-top condition.
He just needs a female to spot it.
[tapping continues]
[chirrups]
But, with no sign of any interest,
SB gets on with his day.
[chorus of exotic bird calls]
The sicklebill
is not the only pole-dancing bird in these forests.
The top of this 25-meter tree
has been fashioned into the perfect display post,
-by a twelve-wired bird of paradise. -[suggestive '60s music]
Let's call him... TW.
[powerfulcawing]
From up here, TW's call
is loud enough to carry to the other side of the valley.
Sadly, no one seems to be listening.
But if a female came by,
would she be impressed with these moves?
[lively big band music]
Or that tail?
Twelve-wires are the only birds in the world
with a tail like this,
and it's designed for a very odd kind of courtship.
[lively big band music continues]
He just needs a female on his pole.
[thrumming of insects]
SB's post has a visitor,
but it's a young male.
He's not having a bad feather day,
it's just his shoulder pads haven't developed yet.
And his shiny badge of feathers...
well, they wouldn't impress anyone.
But you're never too young to try out your moves.
[peculiar panpipe sound]
Pretty good,
even if he does look like he's been dragged
through the forest backwards.
[whimsical music]
TW's pole has a visitor, too,
but it's a metallic starling.
[metallic chirruping]
Keen to let others know he's in the area.
The pole is also a great vantage point for spying prey.
It seems that every bird in the forest
wants to sit on TW's post.
But if he's ever to attract a mate,
TW must drive off the stream of trespassers.
-[shrill caw] -[dramatic big band music]
Now, where are all those female twelve-wires?
[cawing loudly]
Surely there's one out there.
Scruffy is still at it.
[chirping and rapid tapping]
[ominous music]
And SB's not happy.
[tense music]
The kid's got guts
but he has to go.
SB knows that no pole means no dates.
Back in charge,
it's guns out...
hood up.
-All he needs is a passing female. -[warbling electronic sound]
Aha!
Could this be the one?
It is a female
but not a sicklebill.
Male birds of paradise can go their entire lives
without ever winning a female.
[rapid tapping]
But they're programmed to persevere.
[distant thunder rumbling]
An approaching storm is not good news.
SB knows there's no point dancing in the rain.
[thrum of torrential rain]
Female birds of paradise never look for partners
in bad weather.
Or almost never.
Here's a female that doesn't mind the rain.
TW can't have gone far.
But females have little patience.
[thunder rumbles]
Who knows when she'll be back.
[fanciful classical music]
TW spends a lot of time gardening and landscaping.
It's important work if he wants his display pole
to stand out in the canopy.
He's already removed all the leaves from here.
This lot could go, too.
But gardening must wait.
He has a date.
[apprehensive music]
So, will a leafy gift help to woo her?
[music crescendos]
No.
[music ends]
[insect buzzing]
For a male bird of paradise,
-life can often be frustrating. -[buzzing continues]
[buzzing stops]
[jaunty classical music]
But she hasn't given up on him yet.
He just needs to charm her onto his pole.
[jaunty music continues]
Strangely,
female twelve-wires like to be flicked across the face
by a male's tail.
[chirps loudly]
And she'll judge him on this.
So, here goes.
['40s swing music]
Unfortunately, his technique... is a turn-off.
The pole dancers spend a lot of time hoping they'll be noticed.
[warbling electronic sound]
But SB's wait could be over.
[wings fluttering]
That tweak is a good sign.
[fanciful music]
[rapid tapping]
But she needs a much closer inspection.
[rapid tapping]
The devil's in the detail.
-[rapid tapping] -[warbling electronic sound]
[fanciful music gathers momentum]
[rapid tapping]
He's passed the test.
[music approaches climax]
Perseverance has paid off.
Using a tree stump as a display post is one thing.
[cawing]
But for some dancing birds,
the females demand even more.
They expect their partners to get creative.
[chorus of buzzing insects]
[whimsical classical music]
This is a bower.
A stick bower.
It's built to attract a female bowerbird.
Though you could say it's the designer
that really catches the eye.
[romantic French music]
A flame bowerbird.
The world's most brightly colored bird.
He spent several days building his bower,
and now he's applying the finishing touches.
[romantic French music continues]
But Flame's is not the only kind of bower here.
This bower is probably the most ambitious construction
made by any single animal.
[whimsical music]
Here's the guy responsible.
MacGregor's bowerbird.
He may not have the sex appeal of Flame,
but no other bird goes to greater heights to impress the ladies.
[thrum of insects]
Unlike Flame,
MacGregor spends most of the year
tinkering with his bower.
[quirky classical music]
He works hard on making it bigger and better.
So far, it's been a seven-year labor of love.
Flame's bower, on the other hand, is short-lived,
likely to last just a couple of weeks.
Even so, every stick has its place.
And detail is everything.
[quirky music continues]
Happy with his bower,
Flame moves his attention to his backyard.
If he wants to impress a female, it's important to get this right, too.
For both, creating the perfect piece of art is time-consuming work.
And occasionally frustrating.
If only he had hands.
[music climaxes]
This isn't MacGregor.
It's his neighbor and rival from along the way.
With no one in,
he's come to cause trouble.
Bowerbirds can be very jealous.
But there's a point to this vandalism.
Sabotage your rival's bower...
and yours may look better to a visiting female.
Mister Flame is still having his own personal battles,
but he must also watch his back.
When you're the brightest thing in the jungle,
there's always a chance you'll attract the wrong kind of bird.
[ominous music]
A Doria's hawk.
But he's lost the element of surprise.
[metallic trill]
MacGregor is back.
And he gets on with the repairs.
His tower is well over a meter tall.
It may be a cliche, but size matters to female bowerbirds.
If a male can build and maintain a large tower, it's a sign of good genes.
Next, MacGregor turns his attention to the decor.
Every bowerbird works in his own medium.
For MacGregor, it's sticky plant sap.
Mm. Nice!
[insects chirping]
Flame is decorating, too, but he's more...
experimental.
MacGregor, however, knows just what he wants.
And everything has its place.
Now, this has potential.
But should it go here?
Here?
Or perhaps here?
Or even here?
Perfect.
Fresh decorations show that the bower is in use.
And the fancier it is, the more likely it'll impress a female.
He's hung hundreds of baubles already.
But apparently, there's a point
when there's just one too many.
In keeping with his brown color scheme,
MacGregor is hoping dead flowers will be an added attraction.
Decor is often down to local fashion.
In this valley, blue is the thing.
So will these berries catch the eye?
[snorting]
There's another unwelcome guest at MacGregor's.
[snuffling and snorting]
This could be bad.
But it's also an opportunity for MacGregor to practice an important skill.
[deep cawing]
Mimicry.
-[MacGregor mimics grunting] -[pig grunts]
[grunts]
Pretty impressive.
And how about his squealing pig?
[squeals]
He can also do... the local dogs.
-[shrill bark-like sound] -[pig grunts]
Pigs don't like dogs.
-[shrill bark-like sound] -[pig grumbles]
So, what will this pig think about a bark with more bite?
-[bark-like sound] -[pig stops grunting]
[barking continues]
-[pig snorting] -[barking continues]
There's more to this mimicry than scaring pigs.
It's also key to courting a partner.
[MacGregor calling]
[low raspy call]
He's in luck.
A female has heard him and drops in for a closer look.
[low call]
[bark-like sound]
Time for the blind audition.
[shrill chirrup]
[raspy call]
He must now give her his full repertoire.
[warbles, chirrups]
First up, the songs of forest birds.
[whistling melodically] [chirrups]
Moving on to other sounds he's picked up
from a nearby village.
[tapping sound]
Like chopping wood.
[tapping sound]
-[chatters in human-like voice] -People talking.
[human-like voices continue]
And, most remarkably...
[snatches of chatter]
children playing!
[fragmented child-like chatter and shouting]
She's impressed.
And who wouldn't be?
[fragmented chatter]
-A final dog bark... -[barks]
and it's on to stage two.
A game of hide and seek.
[jaunty music]
To keep her keen, he can't be seen.
[jaunty music continues]
This teasing game can go on for 20 minutes or more.
[jaunty music continues]
[metallic chirrup]
Flame is in luck, too.
A female flame has come to check him out.
[chirruping]
She replies to his call, a good sign.
Now, how to coax her into his bower?
Will contracting and expanding his pupil be the right lure?
[metallic call]
She seems to like it.
[chirrups loudly]
One more step and she'll be in his bower.
[chirrups]
Oh. Too much eye work, perhaps.
[chirrups]
Back at MacGregor's, it's time for the crazy thistle head.
[lively music]
[chirruping]
[lively music continues]
[chirruping]
She's seen enough...
[music fades]
but perhaps she'll be back later.
[metallic call]
The game's not yet up for Flame.
His date is back.
And he's trying something new.
He still needs to get her into his bower,
and a bit of blue beak bling
might be just the thing.
At last, she's right where he wants her.
[whimsical violin music]
Time for his signature dance:
the matador.
[clicking of castanets]
-[squawks] -Oh, dear! The pressure's getting to him.
[fanciful music continues]
Take two.
[castanets clicking]
[accordion and castanets play]
Everything seems to be going like clockwork.
[fanciful music continues]
His final move is odd.
But it's all part of the routine.
And this is his only contribution to fatherhood.
[music crescendos]
[shrill chirrup]
Bowerbirds play the mating game alone.
[chorus of exotic bird call]
But in the jungles of Central and South America,
there are some birds whose only hope of finding love
is teamwork.
This is a Guianan cock-of-the-rock.
-[loud crowing] -['70s funk music]
Every morning, a posse of males gathers in this patch of forest
in the hope of some female action.
[squawking]
[noisy crowing]
[loud shrill hoot]
[all hooting]
They're not exactly friends but they need one another to succeed.
['70s funk continues]
So, chaos must give way to order.
[shrill squawking]
This is a communal display ground,
or lek.
[hooting]
[squawking]
[fluttering and crowing]
At the lek,
every male has his own dancing area.
And the more males there are,
the more likely females will visit.
[music fades]
[thrum of tropical insects]
Teamwork is even more important for some performers in Panama.
This is the dancing perch
of a male lance-tailed manakin.
But to attract a female,
one manakin just won't cut it.
[rapid chirping]
So... he has a wingman.
[low rhythmic calling]
[jazz intro]
The manakins here are part of a 21-year study,
and this pair has worked together for five years.
[shrill twittering]
[jazz continues]
They're a well-oiled machine.
And the most successful duo in this forest.
[music ends]
Rehearsal over,
the pair go in search of a mate.
[melodic chirrups]
They advertise their readiness with a duet.
[melodic chirruping]
And their calls have been answered.
Now, they show her their stage with a round of flybys.
[jazz music starts up]
So far, so good.
But will their routine hit the mark?
[males chirrup rhythmically]
If it does, only the alpha will mate.
The wingman's only here
to make his boss look good.
[chirruping continues]
But, before deciding,
female manakins always check out the competition.
[music climaxes]
Oh, shame!
[rising squeaky call]
At the cock-of-the-rock lek,
the judges are taking their seats.
[chorus of crowing]
It's got the posse excited again.
[chorus of excitable squawking]
[psychedelic funk music]
Order restored, each takes his position.
And presents his best side.
[squawking]
[psychedelic music continues]
They'll be judged on their rear ends.
[Hammond organ plays]
It takes a trained eye to spot the prettiest bottom.
But there's more to the contest than that.
[high-pitched chirrups]
Wait for it...
Yeah, okay, it's not exactly Swan Lake,
but it's enough to make the final choice easier.
[Hammond organ plays]
But is this male as impressive... up close?
He must keep hopping until he gets the okay.
[squawking]
Not everyone's best pleased about that.
But the competition isn't over yet.
There are still other females to win over,
so they must keep hopping.
[psychedelic music continues]
But when the next female chooses...
[Hammond organ]
it's the same guy!
Research has shown that most matings
at a lek are with one male.
[multiple squawks]
[hoots]
But only the females know
what he has that the others don't.
Still, until the last female's gone, there's always hope.
[music fades out]
The manakin A-team are hopeful, too.
The female's back.
[excitable warbling]
And the duo picks up where they left off.
[lively big band music]
[chirruping and hooting]
But the final act... is a solo.
[lively music continues]
So, when it's time to go it alone,
the alpha calls at his wingman to leave.
[whistles]
Last year, this male was the most successful in the study.
But he can't afford to relax.
Research has shown that older females, like this one,
make experienced males work harder for their affections.
So he must dazzle her with each of his dance moves.
Now comes the highlight of the whole performance.
Cue drumroll...
[drumroll]
[lively music continues]
The perch bounces.
She likes them!
All that's left is to bow...
and mate.
The wingman can only look on.
Perhaps next year, he'll be on top.
[music crescendos]
[music climaxes]
Back in New Guinea,
there's one dancing bird that has it all...
[chorus of chirruping]
the perfect arena,
the most varied dance routine,
and he does it all by himself.
You could say... he's the greatest showman.
This is his personal display court.
He's a bird of paradise,
-[high-pitched squawk] -a Carola's parotia,
and his name's Bob.
Bob is obsessed with tidiness.
But it's vital housework.
Female Carolas don't visit messy display courts.
[pinging]
Every leaf must go.
Perfect.
But Bob's jobs are not done.
There's other groundwork to do.
His arena is carpeted with moss.
And there are a few areas to attend to.
Splendid!
Chores finished, Bob limbers up.
Carolas spend more time rehearsing their displays
than any other bird of paradise.
[whimsical music]
The ballerina is just one of nine carefully choreographed moves.
And each will have to be done in exactly the right order,
making it the most complex dance of any bird.
Even the pauses between moves are important to the routine.
And it's not just what he does but where.
Dancing under his perch is crucial,
as it's from here a female will view his performance.
But even the most serious dancer can tire of practicing.
Particularly when no one's even watching.
[raspy call]
-So, it's off to lunch. -[chirrups]
With Bob gone,
others slide in.
[chirrups shrilly]
A juvenile male
and his equally juvenile male friend.
[warbling]
One day, they'll both have their own courts
but until then, they must seize every chance to practice.
[metallic raspy call]
With two, they can role-play.
A dancer...
and a judging female.
But time's up.
[Bob squawks]
Bob's back.
This youngster wants to stick around
and learn from an expert.
But playtime is over.
[romantic music]
And not a moment too soon.
A female Carola.
But she's not looking for love.
She's after nest material.
Best get rid of her.
[raspy chirrup]
When you're a Carola's parotia,
there's no such thing as downtime.
To succeed, Bob knows his routine must be faultless.
So it's practice, practice, practice.
Aha! Another female!
[chirps]
This one seems interested in him,
so it's showtime.
[whimsical music]
Bob opens with a perch pivot,
the first of his nine moves.
[raspy chirrup]
With the female getting closer, it's time for move two.
The court hops.
Then smartly onto move three,
the swaying bounce.
The mossy carpet helps keep Bob's feet firmly on the ground.
But he needs her on his perch.
Yes!
But what's this?
A plus-one?
-[squawks shrilly] -It's another adult male.
He could prove trouble but Bob must press on.
A Carola display could last hours.
And there are points for stamina.
[raspy trilling]
The arrival of a second male is more worrying.
[squawks excitedly]
Suddenly, Bob's surrounded by rivals,
here to break up his date.
If he loses focus now, she may visit one of their courts instead.
[males squawking excitedly]
And he's still got a lot to get through.
Next, move four.
The head tilts.
[raucous chorus of squawking males]
But all that noise is just too distracting.
[cacophony of squawking]
He must show them who's boss.
And this bit of leaf could be the answer.
It's a badge of ownership, a Carola's way of saying:
"This is my court. Get lost."
[squawking fades]
It's odd...
but it works.
But now, something's wrong.
Has she lost interest,
or is he trying to woo her at the wrong end of the perch?
Fortunately,
Bob's remembered that female Carolas
like to look down on their would-be partners.
So it's back to business, and the second round of court hops.
Move five.
Now on to the next move:
the hop and shake.
Number six,
where he'll fluff his feathers, shuffle forward,
and stick his head under his wing.
Fluff, shuffle, wing.
Fluff...
shuffle...
wing.
Still looking good above.
So it's time for moves seven, eight and nine.
The bow, ballerina and head bobs,
the moves that mark him out as surely the finest dancer of them all.
Take it away, Bob!
[T. Rex "Cosmic Dancer" playing]
♪ I was dancing when I was twelve ♪
♪ I was dancing when I was out ♪
[Bob squawks]
♪ I danced myself out of the womb ♪
Some male Carolas never win the female...
♪ Is it strange to dance that soon? ♪
but Bob's chances are looking good.
♪ I danced myself out of the womb ♪
♪ Ohh ♪
♪ Ohh-oh-ohh ♪
♪ I was dancing when I was eight ♪
Even the pauses are holding her interest.
♪ Is it strange to dance so late? ♪
♪ Ohh ♪
♪ Ohh-oh-ohh♪
[instrumental continues]
Fluttering wings are her way of saying:
"Nice job, Bob."
[music continues]
It's the sign he's been hoping for.
[Bob squawks]
Hurrah!
-But despite Bob's virtuoso performance... -[squawks]
she may never want to see him again.
Oh, well.
[big band theme music plays]