Brown-headed Barbet
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| Megalaima zeylanica Gmelin, 1788 |
The Brown-headed Barbet (Megalaima zeylanica) is a barbet. Barbets are near passerine birds with a world-wide tropical distribution. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills.
The Brown-headed Barbet is a resident breeder in India and Sri Lanka. It is an arboreal species of gardens and wooded country which eats fruit and insects. It nests in a tree hole, laying 2-4 eggs.
This is a relatively large barbet at 27 cm. It is a plump bird, with a short neck, large head and short tail.
The adult has a streaked brown head, neck and breast, with a yellow eye patch. The rest of the plumage is green. The bill is thick and red. Sexes are similar.
The call is a repetitive cutroo…cutroo…cutroo.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Megalaima zeylanica. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Birds of India by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp, ISBN 0-691-04910-6
