Coppersmith Barbet

Psilopogon haemacephalus

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernFruitWoodlandCavity nestSmall · 44 g

What the Coppersmith Barbet sounds like

Sonogram of the Coppersmith Barbet: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Jairam Vijayan · Song · Payyavoor, Kannur, Kerala, India · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Coppersmith Barbet: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Sudipto Roy · Call · Calcutta, Tollygunge, India · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The coppersmith barbet is green with a red head, yellow cheeks and a yellow throat. Its underparts are streaked in grey and black. During the nesting season, the wear and tear on the feathers can cause the plumage of the upper back to appear bluish. It is 15–17 cm (5.9–6.7 in) long and weighs 30–52.6 g (1.06–1.86 oz). Voice: The call is a loud rather metallic tuk…tuk…tuk (or tunk), reminiscent of a copper sheet being beaten, giving the bird its name. Repeated monotonously for long periods, starting with a subdued tuk and building up to an even volume and tempo, the latter varying from 108 to 121 per minute and can continue with as many as 204 notes. They are silent and do not call in winter.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Coppersmith Barbet

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is February, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Coppersmith Barbet

Regular range

The map shades 16 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

About the Coppersmith Barbet

The coppersmith barbet, also called crimson-breasted barbet and coppersmith, is an Asian barbet with crimson forehead and throat, known for its metronomic call that sounds similar to a coppersmith striking metal with a hammer. It is a resident bird in the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. It carves out holes inside a tree to build its nest. It is predominantly frugivorous, but has been observed eating insects, especially winged termites.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Coppersmith Barbet vs White-cheeked Barbet · Coppersmith Barbet vs Taiwan Barbet · Brown-headed Barbet vs Coppersmith Barbet

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