Bird Word: Belly

• Belly: the lower underpart of the body of a bird down to where the tail feathers start.

White is a common feature of so many of our birds. Almost as common is the use of ‘white’ in the descriptive common name given to some species. The White-Bellied Sea-Eagle (see photo below) is one such bird. The belly is the part one often sees most clearly as this species soars or glides overhead. Often it is the only part you see as you get a fleeting glimpse of this beautiful bird.

The colour of the belly can assist the birder in the identification process. Other species where the belly colour can be helpful are the White Fronted Chat, the White Fronted Honeyeater, the Lemon-Bellied Flycatcher, the White-Bellied Cuckoo-Shrike. Another species where the belly colour is important is the Orange-Bellied Parrot, though I couldn’t really say because I haven’t actually seen this one yet.

For more in this series of articles check out the Glossary of Bird Words here.

White-Bellied Sea-Eagle