The great barbet “Psilopogon
virens” is an Asian barbet, are a group of near passerine
birds with a worldwide tropical distribution. The bird gets their name
from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills. This is the largest barbet at
31–33 cm in length and a weight of 192–295 g. It is a plump bird, with a short
neck, large head and short tail. The adult has a blue head, large yellow bill,
brown back and breast, green-streaked yellow belly
and red vent. The rest of the plumage is green. Both sexes and immature birds are similar. The
great barbet is a resident breeder in the lower-to-middle altitudes of the
Himalayas, ranging across eastern Pakistan northern India, Nepal and Bhutan, Bangladesh
and some parts of Southeast Asia, as far away as Laos. The bird nesting season
is from April to July, typically builds nests in tree holes. The average clutch
consists of 2 - 4 eggs (occasionally 5) that often show very faint, depressed
lines running longitudinally down the eggs. The incubation period (to hatching)
is about 13 - 15 days. The male and female birds share the parental duties.
The Great Barbets
mostly feed on fruits, flowers, buds and seeds, but will also eat a wide range
of insects, including moths, mantis, ants, cicadas, dragonflies, crickets,
locusts and beetles. They usually forage in the higher branches of tall trees. The
male's territorial call is a very loud kay-oh. The alarm is a harsh keeab, and
another call is a repetitive piou-piou-piou-piou. They are typically found in
broadleaf evergreen forests between about 2,000 - 8,500 feet. They are usually
seen alone or in pairs, except after having raised young in which case
fledglings may accompany them. Larger numbers of them may occur at favored
fruit trees. This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not
approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion. The
population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach
the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion, and species
is evaluated as Least Concern.
