The bell miner (Manorina melanophrys), commonly known as the bellbird, is a colonial honeyeater, endemic to southeastern Australia. The common name refers to their bell-like call. 'Miner' is an old alternative spelling of 'myna', and is shared with other members of the genus Manorina.[3] The birds feed almost exclusively on the dome-like coverings, referred to as 'bell lerps', of certain psyllid bugs that feed on eucalyptus sap from the leaves. The psyllids make these bell lerps from their own honeydew secretions in order to protect themselves from predators and the environment.
Bell miners live in large, complex, social groups. Within each group, there are subgroups consisting of several breeding pairs, but also including a number of birds that are not currently breeding. The nonbreeders help in providing food for the young in all the nests within the subgroup, even though they are not necessarily closely related to them.[4] The birds defend their colony area communally and aggressively, excluding most other passerine species. They do this in order to protect their territory from other insect-eating birds that would eat the bell lerps on which they feed. Whenever the local forests die back, due to increased lerp psyllid infestations, bell miners undergo a population boom.
The heritage listed mountain village of Bellbrook was named after the distinctive sound of local bellbirds in 1882.
^BirdLife International (2016). "Manorina melanophrys". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22704430A93968246. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22704430A93968246.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
^"Manorina (Manorina) melanophrys (Latham, 1801) Bell Miner". Atlas of Living Australia. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
^For the derivation of 'miner' from 'myna', see comment at Common Indian Myna [1] Retrieved 12 September 2013
^Clarke, M. F. (1989). "The pattern of helping in the bell miner (Manorina melanophrys)". Ethology. 80 (1–4): 292–306. Bibcode:1989Ethol..80..292C. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.1989.tb00748.x.
The bellminer (Manorina melanophrys), commonly known as the bellbird, is a colonial honeyeater, endemic to southeastern Australia. The common name refers...
genus Manorina are the black-eared miner (M. melanotis), the yellow-throated miner (M. flavigula), and the bellminer (M. melanophrys). One of the most...
(Oreoica gutturalis), of Australia New Zealand bellbird (Anthornis melanura) Bellminer (Manorina melanophrys), colloquially known in Australia as the bellbird...
the black-eared miner (M. melanotis) the yellow-throated miner (M. flavigula), the noisy miner (M. melanocephala) and the bellminer (M. melanophrys)...
from the Sydney blue gum. The presence of the territorial and aggressive bellminer (Manorina melanophrys) and psyllid insects (Glycaspis) is correlated with...
productivity. Harassment by bellminers is known to reduce breeding success in helmeted honeyeaters where their territories abut bellminer colonies, and several...
of bellminer associated dieback which is known to occur in several locations throughout the park. While the specific factors that cause bellminer associated...
Press. Michael, F.C. (1984). "Co-operative breeding by the Australian BellMiner Manorina melanophrys Latham: A test of kin selection theory". Behavioral...
hunting at the nests of the superb fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), and the bellminer (Manorina melanophrys). A wide variety of plant material is also consumed...
Edward Miner Gallaudet (/ˌɡæləˈdɛt/ GAL-ə-DET; February 5, 1837 – September 26, 1917), was the first president of Gallaudet University in Washington,...
include the Norfolk Island ground-dove, the Puerto Rican emerald, the bellminer the pallid cuckoo and the purple swamphen The green mango hummingbird...
that have been observed feeding at the flowers include bellminer (Manorina melanophrys), noisy miner (M. melanocephala), white-cheeked honeyeater (Phylidonyris...
metropolitan area: Australian magpie Australian raven Australian white ibis Bellminer Common starling Crested pigeon Eastern rosella Eastern spinebill Galah...
threat to the helmeted honeyeater comes from another native bird, the bellminer (Manorina melanophrys). The Eucalyptus camphora and Eucalyptus ovata have...
Lee Hall. Set in County Durham in North East England during the 1984–1985 miners' strike, the film is about a working-class boy who has a passion for ballet...
the surface. A shaft is sunk to reach the mineral which is excavated by miners, transported to the surface by a winch, and removed by means of a bucket...
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