seen from China
seen from United Kingdom
seen from China
seen from Denmark
seen from China
seen from China
seen from China
seen from Canada
seen from China
seen from Türkiye
seen from Australia
seen from Poland
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from China
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Russia
seen from China
seen from Malaysia
Backyard Loser Battle Royale (poll 10)
One group of randos
Australian Brushturkey
Black-collared Starling
Bearded Barbet
Bokmakierie
Black Redstart
Goldcrest
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Bell Miner
Grey Butcherbird
all images sourced from Macaulay Library (original polls contain source links)
birds of the manorina genus ^_^
Bell Miner (Manorina melanophrys)
© Andy Gee
2019_08_24
Bell Miner (Bellbird) in a Grevillea plant, Lower Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia
Manorina melanophrys
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_miner
Great Backyard Bird Off - Australia (poll 5)
Choose your favorite
Bell Miner
Weebill
Bird Info & Submission Reasons
Bell Miner (Manorina melanophrys)
"I can't think of the local bushland where I grew up without remembering the sounds of bell miners plinking in the air."
A medium to large honeyeater that is bright olive green overall with a orange-yellow bill, legs, and cheek. Lives in large colonies where they are aggressive and territorial. Distributed around southeastern coasts and in dense wetter eucalypt forests. Their main call is a loud "tink" (hence the name), although they also make other short, sharp sounds. (eBird)
Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris)
"Absolute truth in advertising, they are so wee! Really just ridiculously tiny."
Remarkably tiny bird with very short, stubby bill. Upperparts gray-brown, underparts variably cream and yellow, with pale eyebrow and pale eye. Inhabits dry, open woodlands, especially eucalypt forests. Very vocal as it forages in trees, where it feeds primarily on insects, sometimes in mixed flocks with thornbills and pardalotes. Distinctive loud song, given year-round, often rendered “I’m a wee-bill!” (eBird)
Image Sources: miner (Bernadett Kery), weebill (Lachlan Read)
Round 2, Poll 26
Fiery-billed Aracari vs Bell Miner
sources under cut
Fiery-billed Aracari
These birds typically travel in groups of six or more, groups that sometimes include other toucans. They roost communally, and may pack several birds into the same cavity for sleeping.
A cooperative breeder, sometimes birds from the previous season will return to aid their parents in raising the next brood. While the diet of adult aracari is mostly fruit based, they’ll feed the nestlings mostly insects.
Bell Miner
“Their call is such a relaxing tinkling from the tall trees. But also, more importantly, they’re like the saddest looking birds I’ve ever seen. Like who hurt you, buddy.”
Bell miners live in large, complex social groups. Within each group there are subgroups containing several breeding pairs, but also a number of birds not currently breeding. Non-breeding birds will aid in the raising of the nest. These birds defend their colony areas communally and aggressively, excluding most other passerine species, which would compete with the miners on their main source of food: colonies of psyllid bugs called “bell lerps”.
"bell miner are a problem because of how well they protect their psyllid bugs. They lead to trees dying- it's called Bell Miner Associated Dieback, or BMAD (which is a great acronym). But eucalyptus forests are already struggling in a lot of places because of the changes in the fire regime. we need more fire, but BMAD also adds to those issues in some areas! I don't hold it against them tho, look how sad they are"
Vote
Fiery-billed Aracari
Bell Miner
Round 1, Poll 52
Yellow-collared Macaw vs Bell Miner
sources under cut
Yellow-collared Macaw Propaganda
"that was my late pet birb and i'm an extremely sentimental creatures, also they're very cool (green!) and despite being macaws, not endangered at all (like so many macaws unfortunately are), also once i've seen them described as 'escape artists' when in captivity but i don't remember where, anyway they're very neat :3"
Their temperament on Wikipedia is described as "affectionate and somewhat mischievous, intelligent and resourceful."
Bell Miner Propaganda
"Their call is such a relaxing tinkling from the tall trees. But also, more importantly, they're like the saddest looking birds I've ever seen. Like who hurt you, buddy."
Bell miners live in large, complex social groups. Within each group there are subgroups containing several breeding pairs, but also a number of birds not currently breeding. Non-breeding birds will aid in the raising of the nest. These birds defend their colony areas communally and aggressively, excluding most other passerine species, which would compete with the miners on their main source of food: colonies of psyllid bugs called "bell lerps".
Vote
Yellow-collared Macaw
Bell Miner
