Oreoica gutturalis (Vigors & Horsfield, 1827)

Description

Adult Size

Adults of Oreoica gutturalis measure 19 to 23 centimeters in total length.

Adult Male Plumage

Adult males have grey heads, an upright black crest, a white forehead and throat, and a distinct black patch across the breast; the rest of their body is grey or brown.

Female and Immature Plumage

Females and immature birds have less bold coloration than males. They do not have the black breast patch, and have a smaller black crest that is not held upright.

Shared Features

Both males and females have bright orange-red eyes.

Similar Species Resemblance

Female and juvenile crested bellbirds resemble similar species including wedgebills and the Western whipbird.

Distribution and habitat

General Habitat Types

The crested bellbird lives in semi-arid coastlines and drier interior areas across most of Australia. It occurs most often in habitats dominated by acacia scrublands, eucalypt woodlands, spinifex grasslands, and chenopod (saltbush) plains or dunes.

Movement Pattern

This species is either sedentary or locally nomadic.

Core Range

Its range covers most of the Australian continent west of the Great Dividing Range, the southern part of tropical northern Australia, and extends through South Australia to the west coast of Western Australia.

Avoided Regions

The species avoids the far north of Australia, as well as the humid eastern region and the extreme south-western region.