Scarlet-crowned Barbet

Overview

The scarlet-crowned barbet (Capito aurovirens) is a species of bird in the family Capitonidae, classified as a New World barbet. It is currently assessed as being of Least Concern by the IUCN.

Identification

• Approximately 19 cm in length and weighing between 46 and 75 g, it is a chunky bird with a heavy bill.
• Both sexes are mostly olive green with a whitish chin and an orange-yellow throat and upper breast, while underparts below the breast are olive, gray, and yellow.
• Males feature a red crown that extends down the nape, whereas females have a white crown that transitions to olive on the nape.
• The song consists of a series of low 'ttroup' or 'ttdoot' notes, accompanied by grating-like calls.

Habitat

Found in the central Amazon Basin, its range extends from the Andean foothills of southern Colombia through eastern Ecuador to east-central Peru, and into northwestern and west-central Brazil. It inhabits progressively drier forest types, ranging from swamp and várzea to secondary forest, and tends to stay near water. In elevation, it ranges from the lowlands up to 500–600 m in the Andean foothills.

Diet

Although details of its diet are not fully known, it consumes berries, fruit, and insects by gleaning branches, twigs, live foliage, and clusters of dead leaves. It seldom joins mixed-species foraging flocks.

Did you know?

The New World barbets are more closely related to toucan barbets and toucans than they are to the Asian and African barbets, despite the similar appearance among all groups. It is capable of breeding at almost any time of year in certain parts of its range, excluding only the period from September to November.