New Zealand Bellbird

A forest in New Zealand rings with the sound of bellbirds, also known as Korimako or Makomako. Many bellbirds sing together, especially in the morning. Pairs sing duets. And a pair may counter-sing with its neighbors, perhaps letting them know that this patch of land is taken. It all builds to a brilliant, ringing dawn chorus.

BirdNote^®

New Zealand Bellbird

Written by Bob Sundstrom

This is BirdNote.

[dawn chorus of Bellbirds. macaulaylibrary.org/asset/203926551]

A forest in New Zealand rings with the sound of bellbirds, whose Indigenous name is Korimako.

[New Zealand Bellbird chorus, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/203926551]

Korimako are eight-inch, mossy-green birds with dark wings and tail, a purple sheen on the face, and red eyes. They use their down-curved beaks and brush-tipped tongues to feed on nectar from flowers, which they pollinate while they feed.

[one Bellbird singing, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/259397901] 

Many bellbirds sing together, especially in the morning. Pairs sing duets. And a pair may counter-sing with its neighbors, perhaps letting them know that this patch of land is taken. It all builds to a brilliant, ringing dawn chorus.

[dawn chorus of Bellbirds. macaulaylibrary.org/asset/203926551]

Korimako populations were drastically reduced in the 19th and early 20th century, by disease and rats. Thanks to predator control, their numbers are increasing in some places. So their brilliant songs may ring through forests for years to come.

[New Zealand Bellbird song, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/259397901, 0.01-09]

For BirdNote, I’m Mary McCann

BirdNote gives you the sounds of birds every day, and you can get the sights as well when you follow us on Instagram, at BirdNote radio. / @BirdNoteRadio
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Senior Producer: John Kessler
Production Manager: Allison Wilson
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Associate Producer: Ellen Blackstone
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Recorded by J. del Hoyo and K. George
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2021 BirdNote April 2021/September 2023 Narrator: Mary McCann

ID# ANTMEL-01-2021-4-16 ANTMEL-01

Anthornis melanura

https://www.theguardian.com/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/nov/24/1
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-BesFore-t1-body-d2-d6-d15…
https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/bellbird-… --

Listen to more bellbird sounds here:
https://www.xeno-canto.org/sounds/uploaded/BPSDQEOJWG/Bellbird_song_TeA…

Pronunciation:
Korimako kor-ee-mah-ko https://maoridictionary.co.nz/word/3019 (can listen to pronunciation at the link)