Bearded Bellbirds aka Campanero or Anvil-birds
Bellbirds ... Bellbird Photo Gallery
The Bearded Bellbird, Procnias averano, is a passerine bird which occurs in tropical northern South America.
Distribution / Habitat:
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.
Description:
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 180 g (6½ oz). His plumage is white or greyish-white apart from the black wings and warm brown head. He sports a grotesque "beard" of un-feathered, black mossy wattles.
The female is smaller, at approx. 27 cm (10½ in) and 130 g (4½ 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.
Song / Call
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. 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.
Breeding / Nesting
The flimsy nest of twigs is built by the female and usually placed in the outer branches of a tree. 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.
Diet:
These arboreal bellbirds feeds entirely on fruit and berries, mainly taken on the wing. Lauraceae and Burseraceae are particularly favoured, and the young are fed regurgitated Lauraceae by the female.
Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.org.
Photo, Video and/or Article contributions are welcome! Please click here for info
The Avianweb strives to maintain accurate and up-to-date information; however, mistakes do happen. If you would like to correct or update any of the information, please send us an e-mail. THANK YOU!
