The spotted catbird (Ailuroedus maculosus) is a species of bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchidae) which can be found in north Queensland, the eastern Moluccas and New Guinea.

Widespread and common throughout its large range, the spotted catbird is evaluated as Least Concern on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

It inhabits the Wet Tropics of northern Queensland (Cairns region), and thus does not overlap with similar green catbird.

The noticeable difference between the two Australian dwelling species is the lack of black ear-coverts and reduction in dorsal spotting on A.

[5] One study revealed the catbirds have a smaller brain for their body size compared to the bower-building species.

[1][2] The tropical forests of the Bellenden Ker range and adjoining scrub area from Cardwell to Cooktown may be the species "headquarters".

[8] Spotted catbirds are a highly specialized rainforest species and in the Australian wet tropics they prefer to nest in well vegetated areas with steep creek slopes and also in forests with Calamus tangles and will nest in the same location year after year.

The bird will probably call several times in the next few minutes, advancing nearer and each time, until, at last, the bird will be seen arriving on a branch close to the intruder, where it will continue its harah calling at intervals, whilst watching closely its human neighbour.

[23] They often forage on the ground and use their strong feet and powerful bills to eat small, structurally-unprotected fruit under 10mm in diameter.

[24] Their bright green plumage may prevent them from joining foraging flocks of brown and black colored birds in the rainforest.

[25] They eat the seeds of palms, wild figs, berries from the stinging tree and all kinds of soft fruit.

[27] 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 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.

[9] During courtship the pair excitedly hop around perches in trees and the male makes sharp tic notes until the female sits still.

When a couple of observers approached a nest, "both sexes became greatly agitated and the presumed male would perch close by, restlessly shifting his position and singing his strange song – ‘meeyooweh’.

He put a great deal of energy into these songs, tossing his head back as he did so and ending each with a squeak.

Meanwhile, the other bird would perform a distraction display, running along the ground rapidly with tail fanned so that the white terminal spots were prominent, and making peculiar squeaking sounds.