Thursday, September 16, 2010

Bharatpur Diary 2010 – Large Green Barbet

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The Large Green Barbet (Megalaima zeylanica), sometimes also called Brown-headed Barbet, is an Asian barbet. The barbets get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills.


The Large Green Barbet is a resident breeder in India and Sri Lanka. It is an arboreal species of gardens and wooded country which eats fruit and insects. It nests in a tree hole, laying 2-4 eggs.


This is a relatively large barbet at 27 cm. It is a plump bird, with a short neck, large head and short tail.


The adult has a streaked brown head, neck and breast, with a yellow eye patch. The rest of the plumage is green. The bill is thick and red. Sexes are similar.


This particular one was digging out a nesting hole in a tree.

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