Fire-tufted barbet

Fire-tufted barbet
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Megalaimidae
Genus: Psilopogon
Species: P. pyrolophus
Binomial name
Psilopogon pyrolophus
S. Müller, 1836

The fire-tufted barbet (Psilopogon pyrolophus) is a species of bird in the family Megalaimidae, comprising the Asian Barbets, that was once placed in the same family as the Toucan but is now a monotypic genus.[2]

Description

The moderately large bird(28 cm), the adult birds are overall green in appearance and have a brownish-maroon nape, grey lores, white band on the forehead, throat green, followed by a bright yellow band before a black band, appearing like a necklace separates the belly. The bill is fawn colored with a black vertical band. Tufts of feathers at the base of beak. Upper tufts fiery orange in males.[3]

Habitat

Found in Broad leaved evergreen montane forests between 1070–2010 m in Sumatra, southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia.[3]

Habits

This species is locally common and sighted in pairs or in small groups, often in emergent canopy or at mid-canopy near forest edges. Like other barbets, they use tree cavities to nest. They are primarily frugivores. Their call is very similar to cicadas [4]

Conservation

This species is known to have a large range and though the population appears to be decreasing, it has been classified as Least Concern under IUCN Red List criteria.[5] The primary threat to this species appears to be illegal capture and trade as a pet [6]

Fraser's Hill, Malaysia, Aug 1994

References

  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Psilopogon pyrolophus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. https://www.theguardian.com/science/grrlscientist/2012/may/21/4
  3. 1 2 Robson, C. (2000). A guide to the birds of Southeast Asia: Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Princeton University Press.
  4. https://www.beautyofbirds.com/firetuftedbarbets.html
  5. BirdLife International. 2012. Psilopogon pyrolophus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: e.T22681588A40589628. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T22681588A40589628.en.
  6. Chris Shepard. 2006. The bird trade in Medan, north Sumatra: an overview. BirdingASIA.5(2006):16-24.
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