White bellbird


The white bellbird is a species of bird in the family Cotingidae. The specific epithet is often spelled alba, but albus is correct due to the gender of "genus". It is found in forests in the Guianas, with small numbers in Venezuela and the Brazilian state of Pará. 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.

Description

The white bellbird grows to a length of about. The male is pure white with a black bill that has a fleshy black wattle, sparsely feathered with white feathers, dangling from its top and hanging down the side, usually the right side; the female is an overall olive colour, with olive streaks on the yellowish underparts, and resembles other bellbirds. The male is unlikely to be mistaken for anything else but the female resembles the bearded bellbird ; that bird has a dusky olive crown and black streaking on the throat.
According to a study published in 2019, the white bellbird makes the loudest call ever recorded for birds, reaching 125 dB. The record was previously held by the screaming piha with 116 dB.

Status

The white bellbird has a very wide distribution and although it is an uncommon bird, its total population is estimated to be large. The population may be in slight decline because of deforestation, but not at a fast enough rate for it to be considered threatened, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".