The bellbird is a member of the honeyeater family, and as such has a curved bill and a long tongue, frayed at the end like a brush, which is used to reach deeply into flowers and drink nectar. Like the other two New Zealand honeyeaters, the Tui and the Stitchbird, they feed on a mixture of nectar, fruit, and insects.  

The male bellbird is a dark olive green, paler on underparts, with a glossy purple head.  The female has a similar plumage but none of the purple gloss and has a narrow white stripe across the cheek from the bill.  Both sexes have red eyes.  The juveniles are like the female but have brown eyes and the cheek stripe is yellowish.  Bellbirds have a short curved bill and slightly forked tail.

The bellbird is named for the bell-like quality of it's song and when many birds sing at once, mostly during the dawn chorus and at dusk, the famous bell notes are impressive.  The song consists of loud clear liquid ringing notes interspersed with grunts and wheezes, not dissimilar to the Tui's grunts and wheezes but slightly more refined.  The alarm call is a loud harsh note repeated very rapidly.

Bellbirds have always existed on Tiritiri Matangi and the population continues to grow every year.   They have flown across to the Whangaparaoa Peninsular from Tiritiri Matangi and have been observed to be breeding in Manly.

Photography by:  Max McRae © (top left) and Peter Craw © (bottom right)

References: Heather, B.D.; Robertson, H.A. 2000 The Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand. Auckland, Viking.