NZ Bellbird: Food Webs

The first food chain that the Bellbird is involved in is the things it eats. The things involved in this food chain are: Insects, nectar and honeydew.

The next food chain involves the Bellbird's predators such as stoats, cats, weasels and ferrets

 

Overall there isn't many predators to harm the Bellbird in which is one of the reasons that it is such a common bird. It isn't picky for the things it eats for it eats very common things such as insects etc. 

NZ Bellbird Adaptations

Millions of years ago, New Zealand was split apart from Australia. As New Zealand grew into a place with lush forests and large mountain ranges the birds, including the Bellbird were forced to adapt to the new environment. At that time there was only bird predators such as the eagle, falcon and owl, which made escaping from predators much harder than it is today. The Bellbird and all other NZ birds developed defence mechanisms to keep them hidden from feathers such as the Bellbirds green feathers, which blend with the environment. They also grew larger and lived longer however they have become slower breeders.

The Bellbird's personal adaptation is it's feathers which blend with the forest. It grew green and black feathers in order to escape predators which rely on sight by blending in the forest. The Bellbird has also become more quiet to avoid predator's hearing them.

 

The female Bellbird has mainly green feathers with a black beak and feather ends. The male however has black feathers with a slight orange round the front. The females have an easier time blending in the forest than the males however both can blend with the forest very well for black feathers can blend in darker areas.

The Bellbird's breeding times occur from September to January where 2 broods can be produced. They generally lay three to four eggs with pinkish brown spots and blotches. Their eggs also look very similar to that of a Tui's in both colour and size.



NZ Bellbird: Endangered NZ

Some of the things that threaten the Bellbird are stoats, wasps, cats, weasels and rats. They threaten the Bellbird by either hunting the bird, eating their eggs or stealing their food. The Bellbird has adapted really well to the environmental changes and towards its predators which puts the Bellbird in a 'safe' condition and far from extinction. A major threat to the Bellbird's distribution was when the European settlers first arrived on New Zealand and introduced European style farming which led to the removal of the native forests in which the Bellbirds live.

In order to prevent the Bellbird from becoming extinct, we may be able to prevent stoats or other land predators from getting to them by creating a sanctuary for them however their extinction day is still a very long way to go. There isn't much help needed to save the Bellbird because of its commonality but putting Bellbirds in a sanctuary for other endangered animals such as the kiwi will save them from most predators and competition.

NZ Bellbird: Community

The Bellbird (Korimako or Makomako) is a very common bird so they are widely populating the NZ native forests. The only area that Bellbirds do not live in is the north of the North Island. They have a very effective blending system which relies on their green feathers.

The Bellbird can also live on many offshore islands apart from the main islands. In the forest, it tends to rain quite often which sometimes causes flooding. However water is very easy to find which supports animal life well. The Bellbird feeds on nectar, fruit and insects. They are 'honey-eaters' so they play an important role in the environment for pollinating many native plants such as mistletoe, fuchsia and kowhai. The food it eats is very common which is why the Bellbird is so efficient in surviving in the native forests.

Bellbirds are very efficient when avoiding predators. They are live in trees and have the ability to fly like all birds which means land predators will have trouble catching them. There are no major threats to the Bellbird in the birds category which means that they are mostly safe from any land threats. The only problem is their eggs being stolen/eaten by predators such as cats, weasels, stoats and rats. Some compete with the Bellbird in gathering food such as other birds and wasps whereas the other predators will hunt the initial Bellbird or its eggs.

The Bellbird has succeeded in the community because of its camouflaged feathers, which blend with the foliage of the forest. It also eats some very common foods such as insects, nectar etc. Overall, the reason why the Bellbird is so common is because of its ability to adapt to the environment, avoid its predators and eat whats common and available. Unlike the dinosaurs, the Bellbird isn't picky and that is why it survives longer.