20. The Asian Barbets

The barbets are called so because they have bristles growing around their thick beaks (Latin barba, beard). 

Brown-Headed Barbet

Megalaima zeylanica

27 cm

Male/female alike

Characteristics: Brown head and breast finely streaked, brown throat, orangish circumorbital (around the eye) skin and bill (when breeding), white spotted wing coverts. Streaking is almost absent on belly and flanks. They are a little clownish to look at with their plump bodies and big heads on a short stocky neck and thick, red bill.They have an unmistakeable loud call. Raka’s next door neighbour Mrs D’Costa (an ardent animal/bird lover, God bless her soul) in Lucknow used to call the bird “Batao” (meaning “say” in Hindi) because that is how he sounds. 

Distribution: Widespread resident but their colourings and their penchant for densely leaved high trees, makes them difficult to take a picture of, even though you can hear their loud call resonating from every tree. You can imagine my delight when after chasing them in all the beautiful old ficus trees in the Lucknow Residency I found this one nesting hardly at a height of 7-8 feet and boldly looking at me too!

In Maharashtra I’m more likely to see the white-cheeked barbet, which is more common in the Western Ghats. Still waiting to click one.

Diet: Eats fruits, berries and insects.

Breeding: The Barbets in Raka’s garden would nest in the same hole, dug by the birds themselves like a woodpecker, in the small 'Harsingar' tree every year till she chopped of the tree :-{ (unbelievable!!). They lay 2-4 eggs, both parents take turns to incubate.

Coppersmith Barbet

Megalaima haemacephala

17cm

Male/female alike

Characteristics: This adorable little bird with a crimson forehead and breast patch, yellow patches above and below the eye, yellow throat and streaked underparts, would be quite conspicuous if it were’nt so little. The Juvenile does not have the red on head and breast. Has a repetitive tuk tuk tuk call which sounds like the hammering of a metal-smith hence the name.

Distribution: Widespread resident and can be seen in open wooded country and groves. I have regular visitors on the Gulmohar tree outside my Living room window. You must see Rajeev’s video of a couple of them fighting like kids to sit inside a tree hole where they roost on a hot day even when not nesting.

Diet: Fruits, berries and figs, eating them whole and helping in seed dispersal. Sometimes they will eat insects like termites. 

Breeding: They dig out holes in trees to make their nests like the other barbets. They breed practically the year round with some local variations. 3-4 eggs are laid at a time and incubated by both parents.  

Blue Throated Barbet

Megalaima asiatica

23cm

Male/female alike

Characteristics: Blue ‘face’ and throat, red forehead and the back of the crown and a black band across crown. Juveline has duller colors. Call is a loud took-a-took.

Distribution: It is a resident bird of the Himalayan region but may be seen across the sub continent. I saw it in Himachal Pradesh in a small place called Jia.

Diet: Consists of fruits and insects.