Five-colored Barbet
Capito quinticolor
Colorful barbet of lowland rainforest west of the Andes; scarce and declining in northwestern Ecuador, but more common in parts of southwestern Colombia. Male is black and yellow with red crown, white throat, and streaked flanks. Female is heavily spotted with black below, and has black and yellow streaking on head. Usually stays high in trees and often joins mixed-species flocks. Male sings a series of ten or more soft “boo” notes; he hunches over and looks like he’s retching while singing.
Identification
The five-colored barbet is 17 to 18 cm (6.7 to 7.1 in) long and weighs 54 to 69 g (1.9 to 2.4 oz). The male is mostly black above with a yellow "V" on the mantle. It has a red crown and nape and yellow wingbars. Its throat and breast are yellow brightening to gold or orange on the belly; the flanks have black spots. The female is also black above but heavily streaked with gold. Its throat, breast, and belly are colored like the male's but have black spots throughout.
Taxonomy
The five-colored barbet is monotypic. It and the white-mantled barbet (Capito hypoleucos) were briefly thought to be a single species. DNA data have shown it instead to be sister to black-girdled barbet (C. dayi).
- Scientific name
- Capito quinticolor
- Authority
- Elliot, DG, 1865
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Capitonidae
- Genus
- Capito
Range and habitat
The five-colored barbet is found from central Chocó Department in western Colombia south into Ecuador's most northwesterly province, Esmeraldas. It inhabits wet primary and mature secondary forest and their edges and disturbed areas. In elevation it usually ranges from near sea level to 350 m (1,150 ft) but locally can be found up to approximately 600 m (2,000 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The five-colored barbet's diet is primarily fruit but it also takes insects. It forages from mid-level to the canopy in the forest interior; in the forest edges it also feeds in the understory. It sometimes joins mixed-species foraging flocks.<p>The five-colored barbet's breeding phenology is practically unknown. Specimens in breeding condition suggest that its breeding season spans from April to July. A third adult has been observed accompanying apparently mated pairs.<p>The five-colored barbet's song is a "low-pitched, hollow, hoop trill" [1]; both sexes sing. It also has a "guttural 'churr' call" [2].
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Peruvian Plantcutter
Phytotoma raimondii
Scarce cotinga restricted to dry lowland forest in northwestern Peru. Male is gray with a reddish belly and forehead and white wingbars. Female is gray and buff with strong black streaking. Both sexes have a shaggy crest and a yellow eye. Found in areas with abundant mesquite and acacia trees, where it feeds mainly on leaves, buds, and other plant parts. It is usually first detected by its weird, buzzy calls that sound a lot like a kazoo.
White-collared Pigeon
Columba albitorques
A dark pigeon that is endemic to the Abyssinian highlands. There is a white mark on the back of the head, and white patches in the wings that are conspicuous in flight. Found at middle and high elevations. Nests in rocky areas as well as in towns and cities, and feeds mainly in grassland and cultivated areas. Can be similar to the highly variable feral Rock Pigeon, but distinguished by the white mark on the head. Not very vocal, but does sometimes give a low cooing call.
Philippine Green-Pigeon
Treron axillaris
A medium-sized pigeon of lowland and foothill forest canopy, with green underparts, head, and rump, a gray crown, yellow wingbars and edges to the flight feathers, a whitish belly, and white under the base of the tail. Note the whitish bill with a reddish base and the blue eyes. Male has a maroon shoulder and back, where the female is green. Similar to Thick-billed Green-Pigeon, but Philippine has a thinner bill and lacks the green skin around the eye. Female resembles female Pink-necked Green-Pigeon, but that species has yellow marks only on the edge of the wing. Voice is typical of green-pigeons, including a rising-and-falling out-of-tune whistled song.
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