BARBETS: Capitonidae

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Barbets are colorful, small- to medium-sized birds. They have a thick, stout bill that is cone-shaped and sharply tipped, bristles (in most species) around the mouth and bill, and tufts over the nostrils. They have a rather large head, a forked or brush-tipped tongue, short and rounded wings, a short tail, and a zygodactyl (zye-guh-DACK-tuhl) foot structure (two toes pointing forward and two toes backward). The bill is heavy and strong, being short but solid in smaller species and rather long and pointed in larger ones.

Males and females look alike in African and Asian species, but look different in color and patterns in South American species. Many African species are mostly black and white with patches of yellow, red, or both in various patterns. Asian barbets are mostly green with patterns of yellow, red, purple, brown, and blue in the chest, head-top, and cheek. South American barbets are often showy-looking birds with black, white, red, and yellow present. Others have orange breast shields or red breast bands. Adults are 3.2 to 13.8 inches (8 to 35 centimeters) long and weigh between 0.3 and 7.2 ounces (8.5 and 203 grams).

GEOGRAPHIC RANGE

Barbets are found in northern South America, southern Central America, sub-Saharan Africa, and south and Southeast Asia. They are found mainly within tropical Africa.

HABITAT

Barbets inhabit lowland tropical forests and forest edges. Some species, especially the African ones, are found in secondary forests, parklands, and urban areas that contain fruiting trees. Other species live in drier thornbush habitats with large termite mounds. Barbets like dead wood for digging out nesting holes and to perch on all year-round.

DIET

Barbets are fruit eaters, but young barbets need high protein diets and therefore feed on insects. Where available, the fruit, nectar, and blossoms from avocado, banana, fig, mango, papaya, and pepper trees are eaten. Also, ants, beetles, larvae (LAR-vee), bird eggs, centipedes, lizards, locusts, snails, spiders, termites, worms, and young birds are eaten. They are often found foraging around thickets, ditches, and outbuildings.

BEHAVIOR AND REPRODUCTION

Their zygodactyl foot structure allows them to perch, grasp, and climb in near-vertical motions. The outer toe is moved forwards or sideways to provide a better hold. Barbets hop and climb quickly but awkwardly on trees, and move slowly through low bushes and on the ground. They often perch silently for long periods of time. Larger species are less active than smaller ones. Barbets fly well, but look a little awkward in the air, mostly flying only short distances. They do not support themselves with their tail, except when digging nests. They have a monotonous voice and make a fast series of notes resembling honks, chirps, or hammer-tapping. Mating pairs call out to each other in a pattern of notes, which may be also used by other group members. The larger species are social birds, with helpers to assist in raising young. Others are more territorial, with only the mating pair helping out in the caring of young. They roost in nest holes all year round.

Barbets are monogamous (muh-NAH-guh-mus; having one mate), with some species mating for life. Most of the birds have breeding territories which they defend by singing, often having ten to twelve different calls sung individually or between the mating pair and the helpers. Breeding birds also show color patches on the head, wings, rump, tail, and bill, with feathers erected to emphasize the effect. Male and female pairs often preen each other (groom feathers with the bill). The nest is usually a hole in decayed or dead trees (in branches for smaller species), but can also be former termite mounds or burrows within sand or earthen banks. The hole enters a vertical shaft and ends in a widened chamber where females lay two to five white eggs. The incubation period (time to sit on eggs before hatching) varies, but is twelve to fourteen days in some species, while it is eighteen to nineteen days in other species. The nestling period (time needed to care for young) also varies with species: periods of twenty to twenty-one days, twenty-four to twenty-six days, and thirty-three to thirty-five days. The shorter periods are associated with the smaller species, while the longer periods generally accompany larger species.

BARBETS AND PEOPLE

There is no known significant relationship between people and barbets.

CONSERVATION STATUS

One species, the white-mantled barbet is listed as Endangered, facing a very high risk of extinction, dying out, and nine species are Near Threatened, not currently threatened, but could become so. Habitat loss from logging and other human activities continue to threaten populations of barbets.

COPPERSMITH BARBET (Megalaima haemacephala): SPECIES ACCOUNTS

Physical characteristics: Coppersmith barbets are small, plump barbets with a short neck, large head, and short tail. They have dark green upperparts, a red forehead, yellow sides of the throat and head, one black stripe through the eyes and another one that runs below the eyes and onto the bill. They have pale greenish-white under parts with broad dark green streaks and a red patch across the upper breast, and reddish legs. Females are a duller red than the bright males. Juveniles lack all red colorings, with streaky patterns on the throat and a much paler bill. Adults are 5.9 to 6.7 inches (15 to 17 centimeters) long and weigh between 1.1 and 1.8 ounces (30 and 52 grams).

Geographic range: Coppersmith barbets are found from peninsular and northern India, northeastern Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, to southwestern China, Malaysia, Sumatra, and the Philippines.

Habitat: Coppersmith barbets prefer dry deciduous woodlands, forest edges, teak forests, irrigated orchards and plantations with fruiting trees, urban areas that contain trees, and mangroves.

Diet: Their diet consists of figs, custard-apples, guavas, mangos, and papal fruits, along with smaller berries and many types of insects such as beetles, crickets, mantids (plural of mantis; large, predatory insects), and various insect larvae. They tap and chip away tree bark in order to find invertebrates (animals without a backbone).

Behavior and reproduction: Coppersmith barbets sing frequently with a long call. While singing, they bob their head, jerk their body, and flick their tail. Their call is a series of "tuk-tuk-tuk," which sounds like a copper sheet being beaten (which gives the bird its name). Females lay two to four eggs in a hole dug from a tree. The incubation period is twelve to fourteen days, and the fledgling period (time for young to grow feathers necessary to fly) is about five weeks. Both parents feed the young, but once chicks learn to fly the parents leave them to brood again (young born and raised together).

Coppersmith barbets and people: People often enjoy hearing coppersmith barbets sing their "hammering" song.

Conservation status: Coppersmith barbets are not threatened. They are common in most of their range. ∎

YELLOW-FRONTED TINKERBIRD (Pogoniulus chrysoconus): SPECIES ACCOUNTS

Physical characteristics: Yellow-fronted tinkerbirds are small, strong-billed, short-tailed tinkerbirds that have a yellow to orange forecrown and center of crown bordered in black. They have a black hindcrown with white streaks, black upperparts with white to yellow-white streaks, gray under parts washed with lemon yellow, a black tail with yellow-white edges, blackish brown wings edged in white or yellow-white, and a mostly pale yellow rump. Adults are 4.3 to 4.7 inches (11 to 12 centimeters) long and weigh between 1.9 and 2.2 ounces (8 and 20 grams).

Geographic range: They are found in the sub-Saharan Africa, from the Atlantic Ocean to southern Sudan (but not found near the coast of the Red Sea), south from Sudan to Lake Victoria, and most of Central Africa south to Mozambique. They are not found in central West Africa.

Habitat: The birds live in many types of forests and riverside woodlands. They like dry, bushy lands from small patches of forests to tall clumps and scattered trees in grasslands and scrublands.

Diet: Yellow-fronted tinkerbirds eat small berries and bright red, orange, and purple fruits, such as mistletoe berries and figs, as well as insects, beetles, and other invertebrates. They move quietly through foliage and dead leaves while pecking at prey or taking off berries and fruits.

Behavior and reproduction: Yellow-fronted tinkerbirds do not regularly migrate. They usually are found alone or in pairs, but will sometimes join flocks of many bird species. The birds fly fast from spot to spot. During breeding season, they dig cavities in many places such as dead stumps or branches. During this time, breeding birds become aggressive to other barbets that try to approach. In order to defend their territory, males erect their crown feathers, swing their head, flutter their wings, flick their tail, and call out with popping sounds. Females lay two to three white eggs. The incubation period is about twelve days, while the nestling period is about twenty-one days. They breed in all seasons, and have three to four broods each year.

Yellow-fronted tinkerbirds and people: People enjoy listening to the song of yellow-fronted tinkerbirds.

Conservation status: Yellow-fronted tinkerbirds are not threatened. They are generally common throughout their geographical range. ∎

TOUCAN BARBET (Semnornis ramphastinus): SPECIES ACCOUNTS

Physical characteristics: Toucan barbets are patterned and colorful birds with a short bill that is large at the base. Males have black around the bill base, a stiff black tuft on the nape (back of neck), and a broad white line behind the eyes. Females are similar to males, but do not have the stiff tuft on the nape. Juveniles are duller in color. Adults are about 7.5 to 9.8 inches (19 to 25 centimeters) long and weigh between 3.0 and 3.9 ounces (85 and 110 grams).

Geographic range: They are found in southwestern Colombia and western Ecuador in South America.

Habitat: Toucan barbets prefer wet subtropical forests and montane (mountainous) tropical forests, secondary growth, and forest edges and open pastures that contain scattered fruit trees.

Diet: Their diet is made up of mostly fruits (sixty-two species of plants have been recorded), but they also eat insects and other invertebrates when fruit is limited or not available.

Behavior and reproduction: Toucan-barbets are found around fruiting trees and bushes. They forage in groups of up to six birds, usually a territorial pair and their young. The birds hop on branches and climb through low bushy growth from about ground level to the forest canopy. They sometimes remain motionless on a perch. Their song is a series of short, foghorn-like notes repeated many times, such as "hawnk" followed by "ag." During this song, the tail is often cocked. A territory is found around a roosting and nesting hole in a dead tree. The breeding pair will drive away all visitors, including older offspring and other group adults, except for one or two helpers. The number of eggs laid is unknown. The incubation period is about fifteen days. The male and helpers will help the female incubate the eggs. The young are fed for forty-three to forty-six days. If another brood is laid, the earlier offspring will help out.

Toucan barbets and people: People may trap toucan barbets.

Conservation status: Toucan barbets are Near Threatened. They are common in parts of their small range of about 7,700 square miles (20,000 square kilometers). Some birds suffer from trapping and loss of their habitat. ∎

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Books:

del Hoyo, Josep, et al, eds. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, 1992.

Dickinson, Edward C., ed. The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World, 3rd ed. Princeton, NJ and Oxford, U.K.: Princeton University Press, 2003.

Forshaw, Joseph, ed. Encyclopedia of Birds, 2nd ed. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 1998.

Harrison, Colin James Oliver. Birds of the World. London and New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1993.

Perrins, Christopher M., and Alex L. A. Middleton, eds. The Encyclopedia of Birds. New York: Facts on File, 1985.

Web sites:

"Coppersmith Barbet Megalaima haemacephala." Delhibird: The Northern India Bird Network. http://www.delhibird.org/species/sp03557.htm (accessed on August 24, 2004).