Territorial Behavior and Courtship of the Male Three-Wattled Bellbird

Abstract

The three-wattled bellbird (Procnias tricarunculata) was studied for 7.5 wk (April-June 1974) at Monteverde, Costa Rica. In the study area (1400 by 3200 m), 13 adult males held territories from which they advertised by loud calls for 83-93% of the daylight hours. The majority had a repertoire of 3 calls. The Monteverde dialect is distinctive. Two individuals had part or all of their repertoire different from other Monteverde males but matching vocalizations from elsewhere. Males call from exposed perches above the canopy and from a special broken-off branch, the visiting perch, beneath the canopy. Calling males perform 2 displays involving flight, each preceded by a characteristic call. These displays and a silent wattle-shaking display are performed mainly when another bellbird visits a calling male. The visitors were usually females or immature males but occasionally adult males. At the climax of the visit, the territory-holding male leaned over the visitor, perched at the broken-off end of the visiting perch, and uttered extremely loud calls. This usually made the visitor leave. Both sexes received the same treatment. The male''s wattles are fully extended when he is calling in his territory, but are usually retracted when he leaves his territory to feed. During encounters between closely matched males, one and then the other may extend the wattles and call. Bellbirds were seen feeding only on fruits, mainly drupes of the family Lauraceae but also other drupes, particularly a species of Rutaceae. An individual male feeding exclusively on the latter fruit took an average of 9.0 g of pericarp/hour. A comparison was made of the calls and displays of the 4 Procnias spp. [P. tricarunculata, P. averano, P. nudicollis, P. alba], and their relation to habitat was discussed.