The Blue-throated Barbet is a common sight in lowland and foothill tropical forests. It’s known for its beautiful singing, which fills the air, but it can be difficult to spot since it stays hidden within the forest canopy.
The Blue-throated barbet is a type of bird that belongs to the Asian barbet family Megalaimidae. It’s medium-sized, with an average length of 20-25 cm and a weight of 60-100 grams. The bird’s overall plumage is green, but its face and throat are blue, along with a red forehead and cap with black edges. The throat features two small reddish patches, while a pale bluish patch lies between the forehead and cap. The back, wings, and uppertail are also green, while the underparts are yellowish-green; the undertail has a bluish-green color. This bird possesses a heavy bill fringed with bristles, which is ivory-colored with a dark patch on the tip and upper side of the upper mandible. Its irises are brown, and its feet are pale gray.
The picture titled “blue-throated barbet” captured by Rejoice Gassah is available under the CC BY 4.0 license. The male and female birds look alike, while the younger ones have lighter feathers. If you want to read more about interesting birds, check out this article about a bird with a unique color combination of bright yellow and black that also has two long eyelashes! Additionally, the blue-throated barbet makes a distinctive sound with quick, repeated “tu-tu-tuk” noises.
The “Blue-throated Barbet” captured by Koshyk and shown under the CC BY 2.0 license can be spotted in various countries, which include Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and China. This bird species is truly remarkable in appearance.
The Blue throated Barbet in J.M.Garg’s photo is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. These birds have a moderate dependence on forests and are commonly found at elevations between 200 to 2000 meters. They are versatile creatures and can also inhabit human-made environments like plantations, orchards, gardens, and urban parks. In their natural habitats, these barbets thrive in subtropical and tropical lowland forests, subtropical and tropical montane forests, primary and secondary evergreen forests, as well as deciduous forests.
The Blue-throated barbet has a diverse diet mainly composed of fruits such as wild fruits, orchard fruits, berries, figs, flowers, and buds. This bird species also occasionally includes insects in their diet, such as ants, cicadas, dragonflies, crickets, locusts, beetles, and mantids.
The photo titled “Blue throated Barbet I2 IMG 4944” captured by J.M.Garg, showcases the beautiful bird that has unique reproduction and breeding habits. These barbets breed from March to July in India, with the possibility of having two broods in a season. They are known to be monogamous and territorial birds that engage in courtship rituals like singing, counter-singing, and head-bobbing. Their nesting behavior typically involves creating holes in trees. They lay two to four white eggs without markings, and both parents take turns incubating them. After approximately 13-15 days, the chicks hatch.
The Blue-throated Barbet, scientifically known as Megalaima asiatica, are birds that do not migrate and are considered as resident birds. However, those that reside at higher altitudes may descend to lower areas during winter. Juvenile Barbets, after breeding, tend to scatter within their range, making short local movements for feeding and breeding purposes.
According to the photo credit “J.M.Garg”, the Blue-throated Barbet species is found perched on Kapok trees in Kolkata. As far as their population size, it has not been accurately measured but they are generally considered stable. This means that the species is classified as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List, indicating that there are no significant threats to their conservation at this time.
The photo titled “Blue-throated Barbet (Megalaima asiatica) in Kolkata I IMG 7592.jpg” taken by J.M.Garg is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license.