bellbird

noun

bell·​bird ˈbel-ˌbərd How to pronounce bellbird (audio)
: 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 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 Though most people think all three bellbird subspecies are screechy, Podos disagrees. Leslie Nemo, Discover Magazine, 21 Oct. 2019 But the male white bellbird blasts the louder of its two songs within 13 feet of females. Leslie Nemo, Discover Magazine, 21 Oct. 2019 According to a study published in Current Biology, the screaming piha was thought to be the loudest bird on the planet before researchers and study authors, Jeffrey Podos and Mario Cohn-Haft, trekked through the Amazon to record the bellbird. Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 25 Oct. 2019 The pihas calls proved to be the softest, and the Type 2 bellbird calls the loudest. Liz Langley, National Geographic, 21 Oct. 2019 White bellbirds fly about in mountainous regions of the Brazilian Amazon, emitting a strange, tinny call that is impossible to miss. Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 24 Oct. 2019 The white bellbird of the Amazon may be the loudest bird in the world. Eliene Augenbraun, Scientific American, 9 Dec. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bellbird.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bellbird was in 1802

Dictionary Entries Near bellbird

Cite this Entry

“Bellbird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bellbird. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

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