Blue-eared Barbet

Photo by jaray
Kang Kra Jan National Park, Thailand

Psilopogon duvaucelii

Identification

This species has been split into 2 groups for ease of description

Blue-eared Group

16-17 cm, 6.3-6.7 inches. 31.6-39.5 g, 1.1-1.4 oz

• P. d. cyanotis:
• Black forehead
• Blue mid-crown and throat
• Green hind-crown
• Orangey red cheek patch
• Blue ear-coverts framed with red patches
• Narrow black band between throat and breast
• Green body
• Dark stout beak
• P. d. orientalis:
• Generally slightly larger and paler than P. d. cyanotis
• Thin red patch below the black line separating the throat and breast

Black-eared Group

16-17 cm, 6.3-6.7 inches. 26.3-37 g, 0.93-1.3 oz

• "P. d. duvaucelii":
• Black forehead
• Blue crown and throat
• Thick black band between throat and breast some have red below
• Black ear-coverts framed with large red patches
• Red cheek patch
• Pale loral spot
• Green body
• Strong dark beak
• "P. d. gigantorhinus":
• Slightly longer bill than "P. d. duvaucelii"
• Often has blue spotted crown
• "P. d. tanamassae:
• Brighter blue hindcrown and throat
• Red wash behind black breast line
• More blue in tail

Distribution

Asia: found in China, Tibet, Nepal, India, Eastern Himalayas, Bangladesh, Bhutan
Southeast Asia: Indochina, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Malay Peninsula, Brunei, Borneo, Indonesia, Greater Sundas, Sumatra

Taxonomy

Sometimes placed in the genus Megalaima.
Formerly considered conspecific with Little Barbet.

Subspecies

There are 5 subspecies^[1]:

• P. d. cyanotis:

• South-eastern Nepal to Bangladesh, north-eastern India, southern China, Burma, Malay Peninsula

• P. d. orientalis:

• Eastern Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam

• P. d. duvaucelii:

• Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Bangka Island and Borneo

• P. d. gigantorhinus:

• Nias Island (off north-western Sumatra)

• P. d. tanamassae:

• Batu Islands (off western Sumatra)

Several additional subspecies are not recognised by all authorities^[2]

Habitat

Mainly primary coniferous forest, forest edge in lowlands and foothills. May frequent new growth and patchy forest.

Blue-eared Group

Also visits plantations, gardens, deciduous and bamboo forest. Mainly below 1200 m, but below 700 m in Bhutan. Has been recorded to 1525 m in southeast Asia and to 1600 m in southwest China

Black-eared Group

Also visits rubber and silk tree plantations, gardens, mangroves, bamboo, peatswamp and deciduous forest. Mainly below 1000 m, but only to 975 m in peninsular Malaysia, 1065 m on Borneo and up to about 1500 m on Sumatra

Behaviour

Diet

Fruit of figs and other. Also insects. Takes fruit averaging 11.6 mm. Forages in groups of up to 100 at fruting trees in Thailand. Has been seen foraging with pigeons and other species.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Avibase
3. Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2014. IOC World Bird Names (version 4.4). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
4. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved October 2016)

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Blue-eared Barbet. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 6 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Blue-eared_Barbet

External Links

Search for photos of Blue-eared Barbet in the gallery