It is native to drier parts of Australia where its typical habitats are acacia scrublands, eucalypt woodlands, spinifex and saltbush plains, and dunes.

The crested bellbird feeds on seeds and small invertebrates, foraging on the ground or in low bushes.

The deep, cup-shaped nest is usually within a couple of metres of the ground, built in the fork of a branch or in a crevice in a stump.

[8] Similar species include wedgebills and the Western whipbird, which female and juvenile bellbirds resemble.

[10] Nests are prepared in various places such as forks in dead trees, hollow stumps, etc., usually below two metres in height.

[10] Although the bird keeps a low profile, as many people have never seen it, the male call can unmistakably be heard from over half a kilometre away.

[2] The range of the crested bellbird has been contracted due to habitat destruction from land clearance, as this species is particularly susceptible to fragmentation.

[23] Crested bellbirds are not listed as threatened on the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.