South American Bellbirds

South American Bellbirds (or simply ‘bellbirds’) are members of the cotinga family that are mostly found in South America. In some parts of their range, they are sometimes referred to as “araponga.”

Species and Their Ranges

Genus ProcniasThree of the four species are restricted to South America, while the last, the Three-wattled Bellbird, is restricted to southern Central America.

  • Three-wattled Bellbird, Procnias tricarunculata
    • Western Honduras south to eastern Panama
  • White Bellbird, Procnias alba / Procnias albus
    • Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.
  • Bearded Bellbird, Procnias averano
    • Tropical northern South America.
  • Bare-throated Bellbird, Procnias nudicollis
    • Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.

( Procnias nudicollis ) Bare-throated Bellbird

Description

These bellbirds are strongly sexually dimorphic.

Males have an at least partially white plumage, as well as distinctive facial wattles or bare facial skin.

Females are mostly olive-colored with yellowish streaks below. They lack the wattles or bare facial skin that can be seen in the male.

Song / Call

The bellbirds are known for their loud calls; although only one, the White Bellbirds (Procnias alba), have calls that can actually be described as “bell-like.”

Only the males vocalize. In breeding season males give resonant, far-carrying boing sounds, often preceded by piercing whistles or twangs.

The calls of some Procnias males are thought to be among the loudest bird calls on Earth – audible to humans from over 0.5 mi (0.80 km) away.

Habitat and distribution

They are all restricted to tropical or subtropical humid forested regions, often in low mountains or foothills.

Diet

A large part of their diet consists of fruits and berries, as well as various plant matter and seeds.

Their short bills with a wide gape are adaptations for gorging on quantities of fruit.

Breeding

The nest is built on open branches.

One or two eggs are laid per clutch. The female cares for the young alone, regurgitating fruit and cleaning the nest of fecal sacks and regurgitated seeds.

The chicks leave the nest at 33 days, and take three years to come into full color.

CotingasBellbird Photo Gallery
Bearded Bellbird

Other bird species known as “Bellbirds”:

 
 
 
 
 
Photo of author

Gordon Ramel

Gordon is an ecologist with two degrees from Exeter University. He's also a teacher, a poet and the owner of 1,152 books. Oh - and he wrote this website.

We love to hear from our readers. If you have any questions or if you want to get in touch with us, you can find our contact details on our About Us page.

Leave a Comment