Wings of Love, Part 1 of 2: The Romantic Bowerbird

They are among the best representatives of birds, as they have an aesthetic sense, and express their love and affection through art. There are 20 species of bowerbirds living in Australia and Papua New Guinea. With most varieties, the male builds a sophisticated structure called a bower for courtship purposes. The range of objects he gathers is amazing; fruits, flowers, feathers, and even human-made items like buttons, bottle caps, glass marbles, ballpoint pens, you name it! The male bowerbirds need to be excellent artists to win a lady's heart, as females are style-oriented and exceptionally choosy. She is the one to decide if the bower is true artwork, and, along with other factors that are considered, selects the partner with the most beautiful bower. That's why the male bowerbird makes his structure so eye-catching, so as to impress the hen initially to earn a place in the finals. Even their eggs are intricate works of art. Many human beings have been inspired to create their own artworks by observing the skillful designs of the adored bowers. A well-known American scientist, Dr. Jared Diamond, referred to the bowerbirds as the “most human-kind of all birds.” Bowerbird art has inspired humanity's contemporary art. So the bowerbird's repurposing habit has influenced people to a degree. Jane Perkins, who is known for her recycled art, has also adopted similar practices. She uses discarded materials, mostly plastic, to re-interpret masterpieces of past artists. And she named her website. “Blue Bowerbird.” Lovely! In addition, the bowerbird has inspired many plastic recycling initiatives as well. For example, Qantas Airways had the world's first-ever zero-waste commercial flight in May 2019. This event initiated the company’s mission to remove 100 million pieces of single-use plastic from flights by the end of 2021, thus reducing the inflight rubbish generated by 75%. What is the name of this noble initiative? The Bowerbird Project!