Crimson-fronted barbet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crimson-fronted barbet |
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|---|---|
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| Sri Lanka | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Psilopogon
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| Species: |
rubricapillus
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| Synonyms | |
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Megalaima rubricapilla |
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The crimson-fronted barbet (Psilopogon rubricapillus) is a colorful bird found only in Sri Lanka. It is also called the Sri Lanka barbet. This bird lives in warm, wet forests up to 1,300 m (4,300 ft) high.
About the Crimson-Fronted Barbet
This bird was first officially described in 1788. A German scientist named Johann Friedrich Gmelin gave it its first scientific name. He called it Bucco rubricapillus. The name rubricapillus means "red-capped" or "red-crowned" in Latin. This is because of the bird's red markings.
Gmelin learned about this bird from drawings and descriptions made by an English artist, Peter Brown. Today, the crimson-fronted barbet is part of a group of 33 species called Psilopogon. This group was named by Salomon Müller in 1836. This barbet is a unique species, meaning it does not have any different types or subspecies.
In Sri Lanka, people call this bird heen kottoruwa-හීන් කොට්ටෝරුවා in the Sinhala language.
What Does It Look Like?
The crimson-fronted barbet is mostly green. It has bright green feathers on its body and wings. It also has a blue stripe on the side of its head and neck. You can see a black crescent shape right behind its eye.
This bird is about 15 cm (5.9 in) long. That's about the size of a small ruler! It has a short neck, a large head, and a short tail.
What Does It Eat and How Does It Live?
Crimson-fronted barbets look for fruit to eat. They also like to snack on insects. These birds make their nests inside holes in trees. A female barbet usually lays 2 to 4 eggs at a time.
