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
