Red-headed Barbet

The Red-headed Barbet, Eubucco bourcierii, presents a striking sexual dimorphism. Males are adorned with a vivid red head, a white belly, and an olive green back. A white collar elegantly separates the head from the back. Their breast ranges from orange to yellow, with variations in the red throat and chest extent, as well as the breadth of the orange-yellow breast band among subspecies. Females, on the other hand, display a crown and nape that may vary from dull orange to various shades of green, with some sporting a black forehead. Their back is green, the throat a grayish yellow with a yellow to orange band below it, and the lower breast is olive-yellow, transitioning to a white belly.

Identification Tips

To identify the Red-headed Barbet, look for the male's distinctive red head and white belly, contrasted by the olive green back and white collar. The female's identification relies on the variation of dull orange to green on the crown and nape, with a possible black forehead, and the yellow to orange band on the throat.

Habitat

This species favors the interior and edges of evergreen mountain primary forests, as well as adjacent secondary forests.

Distribution

The Red-headed Barbet is found across several countries in Central and South America, with subspecies distributed from Costa Rica to northern Peru.

Behaviour

While detailed studies are lacking, the Red-headed Barbet is known to partake in both arthropods and fruit in its diet. It is also observed to excavate nesting cavities in trees and occasionally in fence posts.

Song & Calls

The song of the Red-headed Barbet is a resonant, ventriloquial trill, likened to a toad's call. Additionally, it produces various grunts and snarls.

Breeding

Breeding behaviors are not extensively documented, but like their New World counterparts, they nest in tree cavities and have a clutch size ranging from two to five eggs. Both sexes share incubation duties, with the female taking the night shift.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Red-headed Barbet includes arthropods such as caterpillars and adult insects, as well as fruits like berries. They are also known to visit feeders for bananas.

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified the Red-headed Barbet as Least Concern, with a population trend that, while in decline, is not at a rate that currently warrants concern.