Golden-naped Barbet
Psilopogon pulcherrimus
The highest-ranging of Borneo’s endemic barbets, found in montane forest from 1000 m up to 3000 m or more. Stunning emerald-green with neon-powder-blue crown and throat; namesake golden nape only visible from certain angles. Yellow-crowned Barbet is similar in appearance, but the two do not overlap in altitudinal range. Slow-moving and often difficult to locate; forages at middle and upper levels. Best detected by voice: two bright, hollow-sounding notes followed by a brief ascending trill.
Identification
Medium-sized bird (20-21.5 cm); overall stocky built. Bill- thick and distinctive. Body coloration, primarily green. Wings having darker shade of green compared to underparts. Azure blue on forehead, extending up to nape; blue coloration on throat. Small but distinct yellow nape forms a collar. A distinctive black band from the base of bill to eye. Black pupils. Black mandibles. Greyish green tarsus
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Psilopogon pulcherrimus
- Authority
- (Sharpe, 1888)
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Megalaimidae
- Genus
- Psilopogon
Range and habitat
Endemic to lowland and montane forests of Borneo. It is presumably a resident species in this region. Most often reported from Mount Kinabalu and Trus Madi south to Mulu and Murud.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Primarily feeds on fruits and berries. Occasionally takes insects like other barbet species. They are often found foraging in the mid-storey layer of the forest and are known to nest in tree cavities.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
White-bellied Robin-Chat
Cossyphicula roberti
Small, fairly plain brown-and-orange robin with a pale belly. Like a typical robin-chat, the tail has a dark center and orange sides. Found in middle-elevation montane forest, in the understory and mid-story. The song is a frantic-sounding, high-pitched, up-and-down twittering series. Similar to akalats, but separated by the black-and-orange tail pattern. Also similar to Mountain Robin-Chat, but separated by smaller size and white belly.
Narrow-billed Antwren
Formicivora iheringi
Long-tailed antwren with white flanks, unmistakable within its restricted range. Males are dark gray with a black bib. Females are olive-brown above and cinnamon below with two buff wing bars. Found in deciduous forests, where it forages from the understory to middle levels, usually alone but sometimes loosely accompanying mixed-species flocks. Songs a long series of clear “tiuw” notes.
Sangihe Cicadabird
Edolisoma salvadorii
A thrush-sized gray songbird. Male is dark slaty-gray on the back and blackish below. Gray-backed female shows extensively barred pale underparts. Singles and pairs inhabit the canopy of forest and wooded patches in the lowlands and foothills. Confined to Sangihe and Talaud Islands. The voice is poorly known.
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