Coppersmith barbet, Megalaima haemacephala (formerly; Xantholaema haemacephala and Bucco indicus, protonym; Bucco haemacephalus), also known as the Crimson-breasted Barbet or or simply as the coppersmith, photographed at Singapore, Southeast Asia.
Image: Marie Louise Ng, 17 March 2011 [velociraptorize].
Nikon D7000, 500/4
Question: This southeast Asian mystery bird has a peculiar and distinctive call which gives it its name. Can you identify it?
Response: this is an adult coppersmith barbet, Megalaima haemacephala. This species, which specialises in forest edge and scrub habitats, has recently expanded its range and, as of 1960, inhabits Singapore, where all the old growth forest has been removed. Males and females of this species look alike (this species is monomorphic). The red forehead, yellow eye-ring and throat patch with streaked underside and green upperparts, are distinctive, so the coppersmith barbet is not generally confused with any other species. Juveniles are duller and lack the adults' red patches. This bird's common name comes from its call, which has a metronome-like quality, often being described as sounding like a coppersmith's banging.
Barbets are frugivorous birds that are thought to be important agents of seed dispersal in tropical forests. Like their distant relatives, the woodpeckers, barbets nest in tree cavities. Some species are kept in aviculture.
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