Bell Miner (Bellbird)
Manorina melanophrys
Other Names: Bellbird, Bell Bird
Family: Meliphagidae (Honeyeaters, 74 species in Australia)
Size: 17-20 cm
Distribution: Within about 300 km of the coast of NSW, Eastern VIC and the most southern QLD coasts.
Status: Common
Habitat: Forests, woodlands
References: Simpson and Day, Reader's Digest
The bell miner, or bellbird, is most well know for its chiming bell-like call. They are much more often heard than they are seen, since the call is loud and the bird looks a drab green-grey colour that blends in very well with the trees it is found in. They are very closely related to the noisy miner and not closely related to the introduced common or "Indian" myna.
The beak and feet of the bell miner are yellowish-orange with a small reddish-orange patch behind the eye.
Photo: Lapstone, Blue Mountains NSW.
Photo: Lapstone, Blue Mountains NSW.
Artwork: John Gould, 'The Birds of Australia', 1848. Original Scanned Image.
Some Birdwatching Resources
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Sydney Birds and Where to Find Them, Peter Roberts. The 30 top bird-watching localities in and around Sydney. These birding hot spots stretch from Tuggerah Lakes on the Central Coast to Lake Illawarra near Wollongong and from the Blue Mountains in the west to some surprisingly accessible sites tucked away in the heart of the city. Each locality entry lists the key species to look out for including rare and seasonal visitors. It describes how to access the location, and what amenities to expect; maps are featured. There is also a handy list of Sydney birds, each entry providing information on the best spots to find it.
Purchase from Australia (Booktopia)
Click here to purchase from Australia (The Nile)
Click here to purchase from Australia (Fishpond) |
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Field Guide to Australian Birds, by Michael Morcombe. This one has colour drawings of the eggs and the nests which not many other field guides do (I can't think of any that do). It's an excellent field guide and one of the four main ones (the other three being above this one). The weakness of this field guide is that some of the pictures of the birds aren't as good (or accurate) as the other three most used field guides. It's also the heaviest though there is a pocket edition which is much smaller and lighter.
Purchase from Australia (Booktopia)
Purchase from Australia (Angus & Robertson) 
| See AlsoAustralian Bird Field Guides
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