Bearded Bellbird
Procnias averano
Famously loud and distinctive-looking, this large cotinga is one of the iconic species of northern South America. Male is unmistakable with mostly white body, black wings, brown head, and throat full of dangling black wattles that look like the bird threw up a plateful of worms onto itself. Female is much plainer, greenish with faint yellow streaks on the underparts. Female is extremely similar to female White Bellbird; where range overlaps with White Bellbird, Bearded typically occurs at higher elevations. Most often found by the extremely loud and far-carrying “bonk!” call given by the male.
Identification
Like other cotingas, the bearded bellbird has a broad hooked-tipped bill, rounded wings, strong legs and a striking appearance. The male is approx 28 cm 11 in long, and weighs .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}180 g (6+1⁄2 oz). His plumage is white or greyish-white apart from the black wings and warm brown head. He sports a "beard" of un-feathered, black stringy wattles.<p>The female is smaller, at approx. 27 cm (10+1⁄2 in) and 130 g (4+1⁄2 oz). Her upperparts are olive-green (duskier on the head), most of the underparts are yellow streaked with green, and the vent is pure yellow. She lacks the facial wattles ("beard"). Both sexes have dark eyes, a black bill and grey to black legs.<p>The males' advertising calls are a very loud dull Bock repeated every few seconds and a somewhat less loud, metallic hammering tonk-tonk-tonk-tonk. It sounds like a hammer rapidly hitting an anvil and is repeated 20–30 times. Additionally, a number of regional calls are known, e.g. an unmusical, almost hissing, bisset in southern Venezuela and a disyllabic teek-terong in northern Venezuela. Apparently, the last mentioned call is no longer heard in Trinidad. The female is essentially silent.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Procnias averano
- Authority
- (Hermann, 1783)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cotingidae
- Genus
- Procnias
Range and habitat
The bearded bellbird is native to Venezuela (as well as adjacent parts of Colombia and Guyana), Trinidad and Tobago and northeastern Brazil, where it occurs in humid forests and woodland. It is mainly resident, but some populations take part in altitudinal migrations; breeding at altitudes of up to 1,900 m (6,200 ft) and spending the non-breeding season in the lowlands. There are two subspecies; the nominate taxon, P. a. averano, in northeastern Brazil and P. a. carnobarba in Venezuela, Trinidad, extreme northeastern Colombia, western Guyana and far northern Brazil. It is a localised and uncommon bird in Venezuela, but is fairly common in Trinidad. The nominate Brazilian race is relatively rare due to extensive habitat destruction in its range and heavy trapping for the cagebird trade, and as such is considered "vulnerable" by Brazilian environmental authority (IBAMA).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
These arboreal bellbirds feeds entirely on fruit and berries, mainly taken on the wing. Lauraceae and Burseraceae are particularly favoured (as well as Araliaceae and Melastomataceae), and the young are fed regurgitated Lauraceae by the female.<p>The flimsy nest of twigs is built by the female and usually placed in the outer branches of a tree. The nests are not located in the jungle, but in free-standing trees in semi-cleared areas, probably to reduce the risk from the many effective predators of nests in the jungle such as monkeys, toucans and snakes.<p>The single brown-mottled, light tan egg is incubated entirely by the female, leaving the polygamous male free to spend much of his time advertising with his distinctive songs. Laying season varies over its range; April-Nov in Trinidad and May-Sep in N. Venezuela. The first recorded egg was discovered near Cumaca, Trinidad, in the mid-1950s.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Western Chat-Tanager
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A long-tailed, shy, ground-feeding species of wet broadleaf forests with dense undergrowth, especially near streams from 700 to 2,000 meters elevation. Dark brown, with white throat that fades into gray-brown chest and belly. Primarily feeds in thick leaf litter. Rather similar to the Eastern Chat-Tanager, which is a bit smaller and has a yellow eyering. This species’ full song is a loud, whistled “tsew, tsee-ew, tsee-ew, tsu, tsu, tsu,” or variations thereon, with final notes given rapidly; often sung in fragments. Songs are more clearly whistled than those of Eastern Chat-Tanager. Call is a “chep.”
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