Bearded Bellbird
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| Bearded Bellbird | ||||||||||||||
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| Procnias averano (Hermann, 1783) |
The Bearded Bellbird, Procnias averano, is a passerine bird which breeds in tropical northern South America. It is found in northeast Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, northern Brazil and Trinidad.
This cotinga is a localised and uncommon bird of moist forests in Venezuela, but is fairly common in Trinidad. The female builds a twig nest in tree; one mottled, pale brown egg is laid and incubated entirely by the female, leaving the polygamous male free to spend much of his time advertising with his distinctive songs.
Like other cotingas, the Bearded Bellbird has a broad hooked-tipped bill, rounded wings, strong legs and a striking appearance. The male is typically 29 cm long, and weighs 180 g; his plumage is white apart from the blackish wings and tail and warm brown head. He sports a grotesque "beard" of black mossy wattles.
The female is smaller, at 27 cm and 125 g; her upperparts are olive-green, and the underparts are yellow streaked with green. She lacks facial wattles.
These arboreal bellbirds mostly eat fruit and berries, taken on the wing; Lauraceae and Burseraceae are particularly favoured, and the young are fed regurgitated Lauraceae by the female.
The male has three loud calls given in advertisement from a high territorial perch. They are; a loud dull Bock repeated every few seconds; a metallic hammering tonk-tonk-tonk-tonk; and a disyllabic teek-terong, although apparently the latter call is no longer heard in Trinidad.
References
- Birds of Venezuela by Hilty, ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
- Birds of Trinidad and Tobago by ffrench, ISBN 0-7136-6759-1
External links
- a photo (http://www.worldbirder.com/photonew/xpages/photo.asp?PhotoID=60)eo:Nordorienta arapongo