white bellbird

The white bellbird (Procnias albus) is a species found in Central and South America. While the name "bellbird" is given to several unrelated birds for their ringing voices, only the white bellbird truly has a bell-like call. The males are mostly white, while the females are drably colored. Males are the only ones that vocalize and possess a fleshy ornamentation on their forehead, described as a tapering black spike. These jay-sized, fruit-eating birds can be heard from long distances, but are difficult to observe as they prefer the tops of tall trees. They belong to the larger group of New World birds called cotingas.1