Abstract Humans have drastically altered the natural environment, impacting species that rely directly on natural resources to create signals to attract mates. Male great bowerbirds (Chlamydera nuchalis) construct bowers, which they decorate with coloured objects such as fruits and sticks. In urban areas, these decorations often include anthropogenic materials, such as glass, plastic and wire. We determined how urbanization affects the bower display of male great bowerbirds by quantifying the ap