Bare-throated Bellbird

Overview

The bare-throated bellbird (Procnias nudicollis) is a species of cotingid bird found in moist subtropical and tropical forests across Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. It is classified as Near Threatened due to habitat loss and collection for the pet trade.

Identification

• Males feature striking white plumage with bristly bluish-black bare skin around the eyes, beak, and throat.
• Females are duller, with a black crown, olive-brown upperparts, and yellowish underparts streaked with olive green.
• Adults are approximately 27 cm long and possess a short bill with a very wide gape.
• The male produces one of the loudest known bird calls, a sharp metallic sound similar to a hammer striking an anvil.

Habitat

Native to Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, this species inhabits subtropical or tropical moist lowland and montane forests. It is common in Brazil and Paraguay but rare in Argentina, where fewer than 250 mature individuals were estimated in 2017. The bird prefers primary forests but may also occupy secondary forests with fruit trees or abandoned rubber groves.

Diet

This species feeds strictly on fruit, consuming items from families such as Arecaceae, Myrtaceae, and Moraceae to disperse seeds within the Atlantic rainforest ecosystem. Its wide gape allows it to swallow fruits whole and regurgitate large seeds. While adults are frugivorous, snails have been found in the stomach of one specimen, theorised to be consumed as a calcium source for egg-laying females.

Did you know?

Unlike many other cotingids, the bare-throated bellbird migrates seasonally to different altitudes in Paraguay and eastern Brazil based on fruit production and the age class of the migrating individuals. It is also the only cotingid widely kept as a cagebird, particularly popular in Brazil.