Talk:Bell miner

Naming

"They were given their common name because they feed almost exclusively on the dome-like coverings of certain psyllid bugs, referred to as "bell lerps," that feed on eucalyptus sap from the leaves."

I always assumed it was because of their bell-like call. See (and hear!) http://home.iprimus.com.au/punkclown/Punkclown/Bellbird.htm

Mike Dallwitz (talk) 13:53, 26 May 2010 (UTC)

Technically speaking, true bellbirds are from South America. And if they were named for their bell-like calls, why with the use of "miner?"--Mr Fink (talk) 16:58, 26 May 2010 (UTC)

I think Mike Dallwitz's objection is valid.

The original name of the Bell Miner was 'Bellbird'. There is a poem by Henry Kendall that every Australian schoolchild knows, of which the first verse goes:

By channels of coolness the echoes are calling,

And down the dim gorges I hear the creek falling:

It lives in the mountain where moss and the sedges

Touch with their beauty the banks and the ledges.

Through breaks of the cedar and sycamore bowers

Struggles the light that is love to the flowers;

And, softer than slumber, and sweeter than singing,

The notes of the bell-birds are running and ringing.

The poem dates to the mid-19th century and provides a much better explanation of the name. The fact that 'technically speaking' 'true bellbirds' are from South America is meaningless. There are species known as bellbirds in Australia, New Zealand, and South America. That is the vernacular name. It is ornithologists who have decided that one bird can be legitimately called a 'bellbird' while others cannot. (You will also note that there is a Crested Bellbird in Australia, which indicates that South American birds don't actually have a monopoly on the name.)

The characterisation of the name Bellbird at the article as 'colloquial' is incorrect. The vernacular name (not the 'colloquial' name -- the poem by Henry Kendall is definitely not 'colloquial') is Bellbird. The ornithological 'common name' is Bell Miner, but that is a name that has been decided by ornithologists.

As for the 'miner' bit, this comes from the Noisy Miner. You will note at the article on the Noisy Miner that the name 'miner' is attributed to 'colonists of Tasmania'. In fact, the name 'miner' is an alternative spelling of 'mynah' or 'myna'. This kind of spelling was common in the 19th century among British and other speakers who don't pronounce the final 'r' sound in such words. Another such spelling is 'minor'. The reason for the name is obvious: the 'miners' and 'mynahs' are similar in appearance and to some extent behaviour (see [[1]]). As spellings became standardised, the Indian Mynah ended up a 'myna' (the h-less spelling seems to be preferred nowadays) and the Noisy Miner ended up a 'miner'. But despite the difference in spelling, the name was originally the same name.

The reason for calling the Bellbirds 'Bell Miners' is fairly simple. As you say, there are Bellbirds in South America. For vernacular naming this doesn't matter, but for ornithological naming this is a no-no. A name was needed that would distinguish the different kinds of bellbirds. Ornithologists also like to have their common names tidy, with a strong tendency to give all members of a genus parallel names. It was obviously decided that all species in the Manorina genus should be called 'miners', and that is what has happened.

The story that the birds' name comes from the way they 'mine' the lerps is a nice tale, but it's a folk etymology. (One must wonder what the other members of the Manorina genus are supposed to mine.)

Ok then. I adjusted the article accordingly, though I'll leave you the honor of refining and referencing it.--Mr Fink (talk) 02:32, 11 September 2013 (UTC)

Mr Fink told me at his talk page that he heard the explanation for the name from a Nature documentary on Australian wildlife. Since that is not a reliable or checkable source, I suggest that the current explanation should be removed.

221.219.154.205 (talk) 13:24, 10 September 2013 (UTC)

Graphics

I'm a teacher needing a picture of a bellbird to print out & show non-English speaking students what an Australian bellbird looks like so I don't find it helpful to encounter something I've never struck on WP before i.e. all the images on this page are not copyright free. I'd be really grateful if someone other than the person who's uploaded the ones already here would add one or two images of bellbirds that are usuable under a creative commons licence so that they can be used for educational purposes. — Preceding unsigned comment added by ANZLitLovers (talk • contribs) 07:58, 17 February 2012 (UTC)

The picture in the article's infobox is indeed usable under the creative commons license; it has a GFDL license, as specified on its description page. The photographer has merely indicated that it is not in the "public domain", which is a completely different issue. You are free to use the picture. Just be sure you credit the photographer, and supply a url link to the GFDL license. MeegsC | Talk 16:47, 16 April 2012 (UTC)

Featured picture scheduled for POTD

Hello! This is to let editors know that File:Bell Miner_1_-_Nepean_Weir.jpg, a featured picture used in this article, has been selected as the English Wikipedia's picture of the day (POTD) for April 7, 2024. A preview of the POTD is displayed below and can be edited at Template:POTD/2024-04-07. For the greater benefit of readers, any potential improvements or maintenance that could benefit the quality of this article should be done before its scheduled appearance on the Main Page. If you have any concerns, please place a message at Wikipedia talk:Picture of the day. Thank you!  — Amakuru (talk) 12:23, 20 March 2024 (UTC)

The bell miner (Manorina melanophrys), also known as the bellbird, is a colonial honeyeater species endemic to southeastern Australia. The name miner is derived from an old alternative spelling of myna, and is shared with other members of the genus Manorina. The birds feed almost exclusively on the dome-like coverings, referred to as "bell lerps", of certain psyllid bugs that feed on eucalyptus sap from the leaves. The psyllids make these bell lerps from their own honeydew secretions in order to protect themselves from predators and the environment. This bell miner was photographed on the Nepean River in Penrith, New South Wales.

Photograph credit: John Harrison

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