The male is adorned with an erectile orange yellow crest, that is partly hidden until shown in courtship display.

The polygamous male builds a tower-like "maypole-type" bower, an elaborate courtship structure, with a central pole of twigs surrounded by a dish of moss with raised walls approximately 1 meter in diameter.

When a female comes in proximity to the bower, the male struts and calls, and opens his crest to display its full color.

Widespread and common throughout its range, MacGregor's bowerbird is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Sir William's surname was originally, and thus formally, McGregor but he adopted the spelling MacGregor while in New Guinea as his personal preference.