Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis) [XC171786]
by Marc Anderson from Hillston, New South Wales, Australia (song)
Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis) [XC336013]
by Marc Anderson from Cunnamulla, Paroo Shire, Queensland, Australia (call, song)
Nest
Cup-shaped, composed of strips of bark, twigs, leaves and often scraps of cloth, lined with dry grass and rootlets, usually placed in the fork of a tree or in a hollow stump, from 1 to 3 m above the ground. Nests with eggs usually have a number of semi-paralyzed caterpillars around the rim or in a chamber.
Eggs (Guide)
3 or 4; white, spotted and blotched sparingly with grey, black and dark brown; long-oval; about 27 x 20 mm.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 11 - 12 days.
Subspecies
Has in the past been placed with Eastern Shrike-tit (Falcunculus frontatus) in a family Falcunculidae, often including also the whipbirds and wedgebills (Psophodes) from the family Eupetidae. The basis for this apparently the fact that all possess a crest, but no other evidence for such an association. Present species sometimes placed close to genus Collurincla, as it resembles Grey Shrike-Thrush (Colluricincla harmonica) in size and shape, and females of the two are similar to each other in plumage. However, recent molecular-genetic studies hint at closer relationship with Pitohui. Subspecies intergrade.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
gutturalis (Vigors & Horsfield, 1827) - Inland areas of New South Wales, southern-central Qld, north-western and central Vic., southern SA and southern WA.
pallescens Mathews, 1912 - Mid- and northern WA, inland NT, northern SA and western Qld.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet