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Bell MinerAlternate name(s): "Bell-bird", "Bell Mynah" ![]() Size: 18-20 cm Weight: 28-32 g |
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See Bell
Miner at Wikipedia |
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Photos |
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Frontal view of an adult Bell Miner
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, February 2013]
Near-lateral view of a Bell Miner sitting on bitumen
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Glorious, QLD, March 2017]
Near-lateral/ventral view of a Bell Miner
(photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg)
[Gillards Beach, Mimosa Rocks National Park, NSW, February 2009]
Close-up lateral view of a Bell Miner
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cunningham's Gap, QLD, June 2017]
Lateral view of a Bell Miner with its tongue sticking out
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Garden, Melbourne, VIC, April 2022]
Close-up near-dorsal view of a Bell Miner
(photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg)
[Gillards Beach, Mimosa Rocks National Park, NSW, February 2009]
Near-dorsal view of a Bell Miner
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Garden, Melbourne, VIC, April 2022]
Near-dorsal view of a Bell Miner
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Garden, Melbourne, VIC, April 2022]
Near-dorsal view of a Bell Miner
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Cunningham's Gap, QLD, June 2017]
Distant ventral view of a Bell in flight
(photo courtesy of E.
Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, October 2016]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Near-lateral view of an immature Bell Miner with a load of
lerps;
note the inconspicuous, pale orbital skin
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Garden, Melbourne, VIC, April 2022]
Lateral view of an immature Bell Miner
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Garden, Melbourne, VIC, April 2022]
Lateral view of an immature Bell Miner issuing its characteristic
call
[Near Gloucester, NSW, June 2009]
Lateral view of a juvenile Bell Miner; note the absence of the
orange-red orbital skin typical of
adults
[Near Gloucester, NSW, June 2009]
Lateral view of a juvenile Bell Miner
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2013]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Jul - Jun | Eggs: 2 - 3 | Incubation period: 14 days | Fledging age: ca. 15 days |
Bell Miners can breed any time of the year and can have several broods per season. They are colonial nesters and members of the colony may help a breeding pair feed the chicks.
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Suspended basket | Material: Fine twigs, bark, grass stems, webs, lichen | Height above ground: 4 - 7 m |
Bell Miner nest in an horizontal fork
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Miners Way, Cassilis, Swifts Creek, East Gippsland, VIC, February 2016]
Bell Miner nest with the owner next to it
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Miners Way, Cassilis, Swifts Creek, East Gippsland, VIC, February 2016]
Bell Miner sitting on its nest
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Miners Way, Cassilis, Swifts Creek, East Gippsland, VIC, February 2016]
Bell Miner sitting on its nest
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Miners Way, Cassilis, Swifts Creek, East Gippsland, VIC, February 2016]
Bell Miner carrying nesting material
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mount Glorious, QLD, March 2017]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 23 x 16 mm | Colour: Creamy, with mid- to dark-brown speckles | Shape: Tapered oval |
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Communal | Mobility: Sedentary | Elementary unit: Family clan/flock |
Immature Bell Miner holding on to the bark of a tree trunk
(photo courtesy of E.
Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, November 2016]
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Food, Diet |
Like all Miners of the Manorina family, Bell Miners feed on insects taken from leaves or bark and on nectar. Part of many birds' diet are "lerps", the crystallized honeydew produced by larvae of psyllid insects on the underside of leaves. Many birds will take both, lerp and insect. However, Bell Miners have the peculiarity of picking off only the lerps, leaving the psyllids alive. In many cases this leaves the insects to cause serious damage to trees.
Near-lateral view of an immature Bell Miner with a load of
lerps
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Garden, Melbourne, VIC, April 2022]
Bell Miner feeding on the underside of the leaves of a
eucalypt
[Near Nowendoc, NSW, June 2011]
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Additional information |
There is a separate page with a short description of psyllids and lerps.
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
bellmin_20151202.m4a | (W NSW) | Contact calls (small mob) | © MD | |
bellmin_20140521.mp3 | (N NSW) | Contact calls (small mob) | © MD | |
bellmin_me_20220403.m4a | (S VIC) | Contact calls (small mob) | © ME | |
bellmin_20151202_3.m4a | (W NSW) | Various (small mob) | © MD | |
bellmin_20150326.m4a | (N NSW) | Various (big mob) | © MD | |
bellmin_20140524.mp3 | (N NSW) | ? (few birds) | © MD | |
bellmin_20151202_2.m4a | (W NSW) | Feeding calls? (small mob) | © MD |
More Bell Miner sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.