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GALLERIES > BIRDS > PICIFORMES > RAMPHASTIDAE > TAIWAN BARBET [Megalaima nuchalis]


Taiwan Barbet Picture
 
 

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SPECIES INFO

The Black-browed Barbet or Müller's Barbet (Megalaima oorti) is a bird belonging to the Asian barbet family, Megalaimidae.

It is 20-23.5 cm long. The plumage is mostly green apart from the head which is patterned with blue, yellow and red. There is a black stripe above the eye. The bill is black and the feet are grey-green. The Chinese name for the bird, "five-colored bird" (???) refers to the five colors seen on its plumage. Because of its colorful plumage and that its call resembles that of a percussion instrument known as a wooden fish, the species is also referred to as the "spotted monk of the forest" in Taiwan.

It has a scattered distribution in south-eastern Asia, occurring in Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, eastern Cambodia, southern Laos, south-central Vietnam, southern China (Guangxi) and the islands of Hainan and Taiwan. Endemic subspecies are found on these two islands and they are sometimes considered to be two separate species: Hainan Barbet (M. faber) and Taiwan Barbet (M. nuchalis).

It inhabits tropical and subtropical forests. It forages in the upper and middle levels of the canopy. It excavates a nest hole in a tree but little else is known about its breeding habits.

Fraser's Hill, Malaysia, Sept 1997






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