White bellbird (Procnias albus) is a medium size bird species of the Cotingdae genus. They are one of the loudest bird species to be found on the record. The sound of their loud cry is estimated to be more than 125 dB in terms of loudness. In addition, the males of these birds produce louder sounds than females. As researched by Anselmo d’affonseca and other researchers like Cohn Haft, bellbirds’ songs are estimated to be louder than Pihas.
The specific epithet is often spelled alba, but albus is correct due to the masculine gender of “Procnias”. It is found in forests in the Guianas, with small numbers in Venezuela and the Brazilian state of Pará, as well as Trinidad and Tobago. As in two other members of Procnias, the males have wattles, fleshy structures akin to the red skin flap that hangs from the throat of roosters.
wattled Bellbird
Species and Their Ranges
Genus Procnias :Three 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.
Three-wattled Bellbird, Procnias tricarunculata
White Bellbird, Procnias alba / Procnias albus
Bearded Bellbird, Procnias averano
Bare-throated Bellbird, Procnias nudicollis
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.
Female Bellbird
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 male 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.
Autumn 