CHLAMYDODERA NUCHALIS {Jard, Sr Selby). 
Western Lilac-naped Bower-bird. 
Ptilonorhynchus nuchalis, Jard. & Selby, Illustr. Orn. ii. pi. 102 (1820). 
Calodera nuchalis, Gould, Syn. B. Austr. pt. i. (1837). 
Chlamydera nuchalis, Gould, B. Austr. pt. i. (cancelled). — Id. op. cit. iv. pi. ix. (1841). — Stokes, Discov. 
Austr. ii. p. 97 (1846). — Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 235 (1846). — Bonap. Consp. Av. i. p. 370 
(1850).— Jacq. et Pucher. Voy. P61e Sud, texte, iii. p. 64 (1853).— Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 294, 
no. 4339 (1869). 
Chlamydere a nuque ornee, Hombr. et Jacq. Voy. Pole Sud, Atlas, pi. vii. fig. 2 (1842-53). 
Chlamydodera nuchalis, Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 212 (1851).— Gould, Handb. B. Austr. i. p. 448 
(1865). — Elliot, Monogr. Parad. pi. xxxi. (1873). — Masters, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. ii. 
p. 273 (1878).— Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vi. p. 391 (1881).— Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. 
N. S. W. (2) ii. p. 169 (1888).— Id. Tab. List Austr. B. p. 11 (1888). — Sharpe, Bull. Brit. Orn. 
Club, iv. p. xiv (1894), 
Ptilorhynchus nuchalis, Schl. Mus. Pays-Bas, Coraces, p. 119 (1867). 
This species and its eastern ally are distinguished from Chlamydodera maculata and its allies by their 
more uniform upper surface, the feathers being margined with ashy-whitish or having white tips or bars 
at the ends, the throat and sides of the body being perfectly uniform. 
It was first described by Jardine and Selby, and Dr. Ramsay (Tab. List Austr. B. p. 10) believes that 
the original specimen must have been found “ in North-western Australia, probably during Leichardt’s 
Expedition, probably by Gilbert or Elsey, near Port Essington.” In the same book Dr. Ramsay gives the 
distribution of C. nuchalis as the Derby district in N.W. Australia, Port Darling and Port Essington, and 
the Gulf of Carpentaria. 
Gould writes in 1865, in his ‘ Handbook ’ : — This fine species was first described and figured in the 
‘Illustrations of Ornithology,’ by Sir William Jardine and Mr. Selby, from the then unique specimens 
in the collection of the Linnean Society ; but neither the part of Australia of which it is a native nor any 
particulars relative to its habits were known to those gentlemen. It is now clearly ascertained that it is 
an inhabitant of the north-west coast, a portion of the Australian continent that has, as yet, been little 
visited. I am indebted for individuals of both sexes to two of the officers of H.M S. ‘ Beagle,’ 
Messrs. Bynoe and Dring ; but neither of these gentlemen furnished me with any account of its 
economy. 
“ The following passage from Captain Stokes’s ‘ Discoveries in Australia ’ (vol. ii. p. 97) comprises 
all that has been recorded respecting the curious bower constructed by this bird : — 
“ ‘ I found matter for conjecture in noticing a number of twigs with their ends stuck in the ground, 
which was strewed over with shells, and their tops brought together so as to form a small bower ; this 
was 2i feet long, li foot wide at either end. It was not until my next visit to Port Essington that I 
thought this anything but some Australian mother’s toy to amuse her child ; upon being asked, one day, 
to go and see the ‘ birds’ playhouse,’ I immediately recognized the same kind of construction I had seen 
at the Victoria River, and found the bird amusing itself by flying backwards and forwards, taking a shell 
alternately from each side, and carrying it through the archway in its mouth.’ ” 
The following descriptions are copied from my sixth volume of the ‘ Catalogue of Birds ’ : — 
Adult male. General colour above ashy brown, the feathers being dark brown edged with ashy 
brown, these margins being very distinct and broad on the rump and upper tail-coverts, the 
latter having indications of a sub-terminal whitish spot as well as the light tip; wing-coverts 
dark brown, margined with ashy, and tipped with a whitish spot, which is much broader on the 
secondaries; tail-feathers brown, margined with ashy on both webs, and barred with whitish at 
the tip ; head brown, each feather having a minute spot of ashy at the tip ; on the nape a 
band of beautiful lilac feathers, fringed with some stiffened brown feathers, tipped with silvery 
whitish; hind neck uniform ashy brown, separating the nuchal band from the mantle; lores, sides 
