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  1. Species
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  3. Ptilonorhynchidae
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  5. Scenopoeetes
  6. ›
  7. Tooth-billed Bowerbird
Tooth-billed Bowerbird
Photo · Richard Bowdler Sharpe

BirdUp · Species

Tooth-billed Bowerbird

Scenopoeetes dentirostris(Ramsay, EP, 1876)

Updated 11 June 2026

Origin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Ptilonorhynchidae
Genus
Scenopoeetes

At a glance

The Tooth-billed Bowerbird is a medium-sized bird, about 29–30 cm long, endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
29–30 cm
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Endemic
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Voice
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Tooth-billed Bowerbird look like?

The Tooth-billed Bowerbird is a medium-sized bird, about 29–30 cm long and weighing 132–199 g.

The tooth-billed bowerbird, also known as the stagemaker bowerbird or tooth-billed catbird, is a species of passerine bird in the bowerbird family Ptilonorhynchidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Scenopoeetes. It is found in the Cape York Peninsula and northeast Queensland of northeast Australia.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
29–30 cm
Weight
132–199 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Tooth-billed Bowerbird?

The Tooth-billed Bowerbird is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

04 · Voice

What it sounds like

Call

Greg Tasney · Wooroonooran QLD 4860, Australia

Call

Samuel Brown · Crater Lakes, AU-QL-EA, AU-QL, AU

Call

Tim · Lake Eacham QLD 4884, Australia

Call

Tim · Lake Eacham QLD 4884, Australia

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Tooth-billed Bowerbird eat?

The Tooth-billed Bowerbird feeds on fruit and foliage/herbs, usually foraging alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Tooth-billed Bowerbird live in Australia?

The Tooth-billed Bowerbird is endemic to Australia, recorded across 4 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingMontane south-east Cape York Pen., north-east QLD (north-east Australia)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Vagrant
  • Resident

4 regions recorded