: any of various birds (such as passerines of the genus Procnias and the honeyeater of the genus Anthornis) whose notes suggest the sound of a bell

Examples of bellbird in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Birds may get toxic feathers from eating beetles Songbirds in the pristine rainforests of New Guinea, including the regent whistler and rufous-naped bellbird, have potent neurotoxins in their feathers like those found among poison dart frogs. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 June 2024 White bellbirds fill the Amazonian soundscape with a clatter of strange, clanging sounds. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 17 Oct. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bellbird was in 1802

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Cite this Entry

“Bellbird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bellbird. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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