The previous post was about the bellbird, or more correctly, the bell miner. But, why “miner”? The story goes back to colonial days.
Early European settlers in Sydney often sailed via SE Asia, and so were familiar with the Indian Mynah bird (Acridotheres tristis). The settlers sometimes brought these birds here as caged birds –- they can be taught to ‘talk’—and inevitably some escaped or were released. They then became yet another feral introduction to Australia. Mynahs are one of the world’s most invasive species. They are related to starlings, and have distinctive bright yellow facial wattles, beaks and feet, and are quite combative, as you can see here:
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One of nature’s most magical sounds is made by bellbirds. When walking in a eucalypt forest in SE Australia, you may hear a series of “plinks” all around you. Because each successive “plink” comes from a different direction, you’re never quite sure which way to look – and the birds responsible aren’t that easy to see either. You have to pick your “plink” and stay focused on the direction it comes from. Eventually you see the bird, just as it utters another “plink”.
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