Golden-throated barbet

Golden-throated barbet
Golden-throated barbet photographed in Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, Sikkim, India
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Piciformes
Family:Megalaimidae
Genus:Psilopogon
Species: †P. franklinii
Binomial name
Psilopogon franklinii
(Blyth, 1842)
Synonyms

Cyanops ramsayi
Megalaima franklinii

The golden-throated barbet (Psilopogon franklinii) is an Asian barbet. Barbets are a group of near passerine birds with a worldwide tropical distribution. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills.

Description

This barbet is 20.5-23.5 cm in length. It is a plump bird, with a short neck, large head and short tail. The bill is dark, and the body plumage is green, but the subspecies have different head patterns. The adult northern nominate form has a red and yellow crown, black eyestripe, white lower face neck, and yellow throat. The sexes are similar, but the juvenile is duller with a weaker head pattern.

The male’s territorial call is a very loud pukwowk.

Distribution

The golden-throated barbet is resident in Nepal, India, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam and mainland China. Its presence in Bangladesh is uncertain. It inhabits tropical and subtropical moist forests at elevations of 900 to 2,565 m (2,953 to 8,415 ft).[2]

  • P. f. franklinii, the nominate race, occurs from India east to northern Laos and southwestern China,
  • P. f. ramsayi is found in central and eastern Myanmar and northern and western Thailand. It has a grey lower throat and grey-streaked black ear coverts.
  • P. f. trangensis occurs in peninsular Thailand. It resembles the nominate form.
  • P. f. minor occurs in the mountains of Malaysia. It resembles the nominate form, but has some blue behind the ear coverts.
  • P. f. auricularis is found in the highlands of southern and central Cambodia, central Laos and Vietnam. It resembles the nominate form, but has some blue behind the ear coverts.

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Psilopogon franklinii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2017-1. International Union for Conservation of Nature.
  2. ↑ BirdLife International (2017). Species factsheet: Psilopogon franklinii

Further reading

  • Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp. Birds of India ISBN 0-691-04910-6
  • Robson, C. A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand ISBN 1-84330-921-1
  • Ripley, D. (1945). The Barbets. The Auk Vol 62
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