Bare-throated Bellbird Procnias nudicollis

Brazilian name: Araponga
Male Bare-throated Bellbird, Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil, April 2004 - click for larger image Brazil

The Bare-throated Bellbird is distributed in eastern Brazil and into adjacent eastern Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is found in the canopy and borders of Atlantic Rain Forest. While still common in some areas, it has declined markedly due to loss of habitat and trapping for the caged-bird trade.
Male Bare-throated Bellbird, Intervales, São Paulo, Brazil, April 2004 - click for larger image The male, seen in the first 3 photos, is pure white except for the bare area round the eye and the large throat patch which are greenish blue in colour. The bare throat has narrow black bristles which can be seen on the second photo.

The female, shown in photos 4 to 6, is olive above with a blackish head and black throat. Below it is pale yellow with broad olive streaks.
Male Bare-throated Bellbird, Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil, April 2004 - click for larger image It has the most remarkable call which sounds like a bell or anvil being struck, is ventriloqual and extremely loud. It is made with the mouth wide open as can be seen in photos 3, 7, 8 and 9.

Photos 7, 8 and 9 show an immature male whose plumage is turning from being similar to the female to becoming full male plumage, a process which takes 3 years.
Female Bare-throated Bellbird, Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil, April 2004 - click for larger image The males gradually require a fully adult call and this immature was sounding very like a fully mature bird.

Occasionally, a shower of droplets is expelled from the mouth during calling as can be seen in photo 8. Photo 9 shows the same bird calling towards a Scaly-throated Parrot Pionus maximiliani that had just landed close by. He flew away startled just after this photo was taken.
Female Bare-throated Bellbird, Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 2008 - click for larger image There are recordings on xeno-canto, a distribution map from NatureServe and additional information available via Avibase.
Female Bare-throated Bellbird, Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 2008 - click for larger image
Immature male Bare-throated Bellbird, Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 2008 - click for larger image
Immature male Bare-throated Bellbird, Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 2008 - click for larger image
Immature male Bare-throated Bellbird chasing off a Scaly-headed Parrot, Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 2008 - click for larger image
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