Procnias tricarunculatus
three-wattled bellbird

Three-wattled bellbirds are found from eastern Honduras to western Panama (Stap 2000).

Three-wattled bellbirds breed in the highlands and migrate to the lowlands after breeding season. The lowlands, which they prefer, are suited for crops and are not protected by Costa Rican law. The highlands, which are more protected, consist of pine and deciduous forests, rainforests, and the bushy edges of forests (Ridgely 1976; Burton and Burton 1989).

The adult male is around 30.5 cm long. It has a chestnut brown body with a white head, neck, and chest. He has three worm-like wattles, one hanging from each side of the mouth, and one from the base of the bill. These are usually 5.1 to 7.6 cm long and a dark gray/black color. Immature males resemble the adult female but with short wattles.

The adult female is around 2.5 cm inches long and is mostly olive-green with a yellow underside streaked with dark olive-green. The female has no wattles (Ridgely 1976; Stap 2000).

Procnias tricarunculatus is a very secretive bird. In fact, the main way they are discovered is by their distinctive call. They call from among the high canopy, which is quite difficult to see from the ground-dweller's perspective. The bird leans forward and opens its mouth so wide that the lower beak practically touches its chest. The sound it emits is more like a bonk than a bell, as its common name, "bellbird" implies. It has been observed that if an intruder lands on the same branch, the first bird will drive him toward the edge of the perch, lean over, and call so loudly that the intruder is frequently knocked off the branch. The vocalization made by the male P. tricarunculatus is probably the loudest call in the bird world and can be heard up to a half-mile away (Ridgely 1976; Stap 2000).

Procnias tricarunculatus, like all bellbird species, is mostly frugivorous. Their favorite food is the wild avocado, of the Lauraceae tree. The trees and the birds rely heavily on each other for survival. The trees provide food for the species and in return, the birds are the primary disperser of their seeds (Stap 2000).

The three-wattled bellbird is very important to the survival of the Lauraceae tree. The bird, in fact, has been called by Daniel Wenny "far and away the most effective disperser of Lauraceae seeds." While eating, the bird flies back and forth between its favorite perches, spreading the seeds along the forest floor, away from the parent tree. Coincidently, their perches are often broken branches, allowing sunlight to reach the seeds and increase the chances of growth. This relationship is important for the overall health of Costa Rican forests specifically (Stap 2000).

Procnias tricarunculatus was once thought much more common than they actually are. This is because of their complex migratory patterns, with the same population being seen in different places. This bird is actually very threatened, due partly to hunting, and more importantly to deforestation. Even in Costa Rica, which has a well developed system of national parks and biological reserves, almost half of the country's forests have been cut down since 1940 (Wetmore 1972; Stap 2000).