From Opus

Photo by juninho
Photo taken: The Boulder Garden, Sri Lanka.

Megalaima flavifrons

[edit] Identification

21 cm. Green body and wings, scaly appearance to the breast, blue face and throat, yellow crown and moustachial stripes, short neck, large head and short tail. Between the Red-vented Bulbul and Common Myna in size. Sexes alike.The call is a rolling kow-kow-kow-kow.

[edit] Distribution

Endemic to Sri Lanka.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species.

[edit] Habitat

Forests and other woodland, including large gardens.

[edit] Behaviour

Throughout its range it is a common bird, not shy, and well known for its resounding calls, which form a pleasant feature of its haunts.The Yellow-fronted Barbet feeds on numerous kinds of berries, wild figs, and cultivated fruits such as guavas and pawpaws-being rather a pest in orchards. It feeds its young mainly on fruit, but also on some animal food as W.W.A. Philips has published a photograph of one at its nest-hole with a gecko in its beak.

The breeding season is from February to May, with a secondary season in August-September, but an occasional nest may be found at other times of the year. The nest-hole is very similar to that of the Brown-headed Barbet but slightly smaller- about two inches in diameter. The cavity inside is oval and, if a new one, is about eight inches deep; but sometimes the birds use a nest for several years running, digging it deeper each year until it may be two feet or more deep. The height from the ground varies greatly, but is usually from six to ten feet. The two or three white, and smooth but not glossy, eggs measure about 28 × 21 mm.

[edit] External Links