Alternative name: Small Barbet
- Psilopogon malabaricus
Identification
16–17 cm (6¼-6¾ in)
- Green body
- Green wings
- Blue band on sides of head and neck
- Black crescent behind the eye
Distribution
Asia: found in the Western Ghats, India.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
It was formerly considered conspecific with Crimson-fronted Barbet from Sri Lanka.
Sometimes placed in the genus Megalaima.
Habitat
Open woodland.
Behaviour
Arboreal.
Diet
Their diet is likely to be similar to Crimson-fronted Barbet which is mostly fruit and insects.
Breeding
They excavate a hole in the underside of a branch. The clutch contains 2-3 eggs. Both adults incubate the eggs during the day, but the female sits alone during the night. They may have a second brood.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- del Hoyo, J., N. Collar, and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Malabar Barbet (Psilopogon malabaricus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.crfbar1.01
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Malabar Barbet. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Malabar_Barbet
