 Research by Donald Kroodsma on recordings archived at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology showed that the three-wattled bellbird is unique among members of its sub-order, in that it learns its song, rather than having the song determined by instinct, because the song changed over the years that it had been recorded.The population trend of the three-wattled bellbird is on a downward trend because of destruction of the bird's forest habitat.The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed their conservation status as "vulnerable".