Black-browed Barbet

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Black-browed Barbet
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Piciformes Family: Megalaimidae Genus: Megalaima Species: M. oorti
Binomial name
Megalaima oorti (Müller, 1836)

The Black-browed Barbet or Müller's Barbet (Megalaima oorti) is a bird belonging to the Asian barbet family, Megalaimidae.

It is 20-23.5 cm long. The plumage is mostly green apart from the head which is patterned with blue, yellow and red. There is a black stripe above the eye. The bill is black and the feet are grey-green. The Chinese name for the bird, "five-colored bird" (五色鳥) refers to the five colors seen on its plumage. Because of its colorful plumage and that its call resembles that of of a wooden fish, the species is also referred to as the "spotted monk of the forest" in Taiwan.

It has a scattered distribution in south-eastern Asia, occurring in Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, eastern Cambodia, southern Laos, south-central Vietnam, southern China (Guangxi) and the islands of Hainan and Taiwan. Endemic subspecies are found on these two islands and they are sometimes considered to be two separate species: Hainan Barbet (M. faber) and Taiwan Barbet (M. nuchalis).

It inhabits tropical and subtropical forests. It forages in the upper and middle levels of the canopy. It excavates a nest hole in a tree but little else is known about its breeding habits.

[edit] References

• MacKinnon, John & Phillipps, Karen (2000) A Field Guide to the Birds of China. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• Robson, Craig (2002) A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia. New Holland, London.