Brown-chested Barbet
Capito brunneipectus
Medium-sized, chunky species with a strong thick bill. Has yellow-olive, cinnamon, and black plumage, duller in females, which also have a black-spotted throat. Found in the canopy of humid forest, often accompanying mixed-species flocks. The call is an incredibly fast series of deep “hoo” notes.
Identification
The brown-chested barbet is approximately 18 cm (7.1 in) long; the male weighs approximately 58 g (2.0 oz). The male's crown is dull gold with a wide black patch through the eye below it. Its back is black with yellow streaks. The throat is yellowish-white; below it is a cinnamon breastband and a yellow to olive belly, both with faint streaks. The female is similar but duller and it has more yellowish markings on the wings and its throat is black-spotted cinnamon.
Taxonomy
At one time, the brown-chested barbet, black-spotted barbet (Capito niger), and gilded barbet (Capito auratus) were considered conspecific but since the late 20th century have been accepted as individual species that are each other's closest relatives.<p>The brown-chested barbet is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Capito brunneipectus
- Authority
- Chapman, 1921
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Capitonidae
- Genus
- Capito
Range and habitat
The brown-chested barbet is found south of the Amazon River between the Madeira River on the west and the Tapajós River on the east. The southerly limit of its range is not known. It inhabits the canopy of wet forest.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The brown-chested barbet is known to eat insects, other arthropods, and fruit. It forages by climbing vines and hopping on branches and twigs. It will join mixed-species foraging flocks.<p>The brown-chested barbet apparently breeds from as early as March into June. No other information about its breeding phenology has been published.<p>The brown-chested barbet's song is "a rapid 'hoo' trill of short notes" [1].
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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