Abstract
Many animals are architects and engineers, using natural materials to build a myriad of structures in the wild. These are often for shelter (e.g. dens, nests), however, may also include habitat modifications (e.g. beaver dams) and displays to attract mates. Male bowerbirds (family Ptilonorhynchidae) in particular, are well-known for creating bowers, a construction made predominantly of sticks and decorated with coloured items found in their surrounding environment. Often the colours collected were rare within the natural environment, and their collection signalled increased fitness to prospective mates. In recent years, many species have started to use plastic items to decorate their bowers. The vibrant colours, lightweight materials, and variety of shapes likely all contribute to small plastic items being considered attractive ornaments that can communicate a male's fitness. The study of bowers can therefore provide a snapshot of human society, while also representing a post-humanistic view of archaeological study; a collection of human detritus associated with a certain time and place. Along with bird nests, bowers (and photos thereof) have been collected by humans and institutions such as museums for decades and can give insight into plastic's historical infiltration into wild terrestrial environments, as curated by the animals that live there.