Even though Coppersmith Barbet is only a tiny bird measuring between
15 cm. to 18 cm. and weighing between 30 to 50 g. , its robust and loud ‘tuk-tuk-tuk’ sound
can lead you to the branches of the cluster fig tree that it loves to
perch on. The bird gets its name from its distinctive call which resembles the
sound that a coppersmith makes by beating sheets of copper with a mallet. The coppersmith barbet makes the sound which is monotonous
but varies in loudness and tempo by inflating a patch of bare skin on both
sides of its throat while the beak
remains shut. Locally it is called chhota vasant and even tuktukiya.
Resident of Indian-subcontinent
and other South Asian countries, it is a pretty colourful bird with its distinctive red cap and red
throat. Its body is leaf-green which
helps it to camouflage itself
successfully. It has yellow patches above and below the eye. Both
males and females look alike but juveniles are duller in colour with red colour
missing.It has a large head with a stout and dark beak as a robust
feature that it employs to peck holes in trees where it nests. Its beak is bordered with conspicuous bristles. The tail
is , however, short and triangular, which is observed as distinctively truncated when it is in flight. However, the
bird hardly comes to the ground.
Found in deciduous forests, open woodlands, countries with thickets,
urban parks and in mangroves’ edges , Coppersmith Barbets like to live either
alone or in pairs. However, large groups could be seen on fruit trees for feeding purpose only. 
Coppersmith Barbet feeds on
various fruits such as figs, berries and mangoes and petals of flowers, but
occasionally, it also consumes small insects. On average, they need to eat about three times their own body weight daily.
Coppersmith Barbet is smallest
one in the barbet family that in the region includes the Great Barbet, the
Brown-headed Barbet and the Blue-throated Barbet.
The pictures were clicked in Thappli Forest Area (Haryana)
on 15th June 2017.
No comments:
Post a Comment