observation from Cooktown, Australia, a lady stated that spotted catbirds become very bold during cumquat season and were observed feeding alongside honeyeaters on mandarins in a nearby site. They eat the seeds of palms, wild figs, berries from the stinging tree and all kinds of soft fruit. Spotted catbirds will also eat beetles and insects as well as new buds and shoots of ferns. The adults and nestlings have also been observed feeding on cicadas with parents and adults feeding cicadas to nestlings. Spotted catbirds have also been photographed attacking nests on the ground and have even been observed feeding nestlings taken from nests to their young. In one study, the imprints from the bill closely resembled the marks on dummy eggs in 87.9% of the 66 nests depredated by birds. Spotted catbirds are also known to eat birds that have become trapped in mist-nets. Nestlings are also fed decapitated heads and other parts of fruit dove squabs. It has also been suggested that catbirds eat small, soft-shelled snails. Reproduction Mating The Ailuroedus genus of the bowerbird family consists of monogamous pairs that do not build a bower. The males and females both defend an all-purpose territory. Spotted catbirds form pair bonds, some which are known to last for more than one breeding season and it is believed that this monogamy results from the need for two parents to raise the brood successfully. During courtship the pair excitedly hop around perches in trees and the male makes sharp tic notes until the female sits still. The male then hops around the female between two perches usually with food in his beak. There has been one observation of catbirds mating in captivity which Firth describes, "He held some food in his bill, drew close to the female and stretched his head and neck up vertically to full extent while looking at her so that the somewhat erected feathers of the neck appeared sparse. He directly mounted the crouching female for a few seconds and the two birds then flew together directly to the ground, the male still holding the food in his bill. Once on the ground the male passed the food to the female, who took and swallowed it. Both birds then flew off together. The breeding season is from August to March. Nest Spotted catbirds build a nest instead of making a bower. Only females build the nest. Nesting