Brown-headed Barbet

Psilopogon zeylanicus - Barbu à tête brune

Systematics

Order
:
Piciformes
Family
:
Mégalaimidés
Genus
:
Psilopogon
Species
:
zeylanicus

Descriptor

Gmelin, JF, 1788

Biometrics

Size
: 28 cm
Wingspan
: -
Weight
: 108 à 140 g

Geographic range

Distribution

Identification

The Brown-headed Barbet is a medium-sized bird, with a large head and a large, strong beak of light red color, in the breeding season the beak becomes a light orange color, small grayish feathers similar to hairs stand out at the base of the beak. As its name indicates, the head is light brown with whitish stripes, large black eyes framed by a thick yellow line. The brown color lightens at the back of the nape, the mantle and back are green. The scapulars are also green and dotted with small white spots. The tail is green, the belly is light green, the chest and throat take up the brown color and white stripes of the head; the legs of the Brown-headed Barbet are yellow.
There is no dimorphism between the male and female birds. Young birds have a duller plumage.

Subspecific information 3 subspecies

Psilopogon zeylanicus zeylanicus (s India and Sri Lanka)
Psilopogon zeylanicus inornatus (w India)
Psilopogon zeylanicus caniceps (Nepal to c India)

Foreign names

Barbu à tête brune,
Barbudo cabecipardo,
barbichas-de-cabeça-castanha,
Braunkopf-Bartvogel,
Bruinkopbaardvogel,
Barbetto testabruna,
brunhuvad barbett,
Brunhodeskjeggfugl,
barbet červenozobý,
vousák hnědohlavý,
Brunhovedet Skægfugl,
rusohuppuseppä,
barbut verd de l'Índia,
pstrogłów nakrapiany,
Цейлонский бородастик,
ミドリオオゴシキドリ,
棕头绿拟啄木鸟,
斑頭綠擬啄木,

Voice song and cries

play
pause

Alert call kukk kukk repeated, singing with a trill to start, then po-kok and too-kkak, notes in long or short sequences.

Habitat

The Brown-headed Barbet can be found in all kinds of forests, sometimes close to human dwellings, in parks and orchards, and can be observed near major cities like Delhi.

Behaviour character trait

The Brown-headed Barbet is sedentary, there is no migration observed. When it is in one of its preferred trees, Ficus Bengalensis, it is difficult to observe : plumage the color of the leaves, and the beak of the color of the fruits! Often hangs around in small groups.

Dietfeeding habits

The Brown-headed Barbet mostly feeds on fruits, particularly those from the Ficus Bengalensis, but can also turn to orchards, gardens. It can be spotted in coffee plantations and opinions differ: it likes the fruits of coffee trees, but according to recent studies, it could also attack the Xylotrechus quadripes insect (nicknamed the coffee pest in India) and its diet could extend to various insects, larvae and termites.

Reproduction nesting

The Brown-headed Barbet's couple is formed between February and October. The nest is often dug in a tree from 2 to 10 meters high; 2 to 4 eggs are incubated during the night by the female (the length of the incubation is unknown so far), and, once the eggs hatch, the couple feeds the chicks.

Geographic range

Present throughout India, southern Nepal, and Sri Lanka, three races or subspecies are officially recognized:
M. z. caniceps-(southwest Nepal and northern India (Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, heading south to Maharashtra, Orissa, and Bihar)).
M. z. inornata-(central-western and southwestern India (Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka)).
M. z. zeylanica, the nominate race-(south India (Kerala, southern Tamil Nadu) and Sri Lanka).