Golden-whiskered barbet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Golden-whiskered barbet |
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| Golden-whiskered barbet in Malaysia | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Piciformes |
| Family: | Megalaimidae |
| Genus: | Psilopogon |
| Species: |
P. chrysopogon
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| Binomial name | |
| Psilopogon chrysopogon (Temminck, 1824)
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| Synonyms | |
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Megalaima chrysopogon |
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The golden-whiskered barbet (Psilopogon chrysopogon) is a colorful bird found in the forests of Southeast Asia. It lives mainly in places like Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. This bird is known for its bright green feathers and a special yellow "moustache" near its beak. Scientists consider it a "Least Concern" species, which means it's not currently in danger of disappearing.
Contents
What it Looks Like
The golden-whiskered barbet is a very colorful bird! Its body is mostly green, but it has many different shades. On each side of its black beak, it has a bright yellow "moustache" that goes all the way to its ears.
Its throat is blue, and it has small blue and red spots on its head. The area around its eyes is also blue. The front part of its head is pale yellow, with red patches near its beak.
This bird is about 30 cm (12 inches) long. It usually weighs between 110 and 215 grams (about 4 to 7.5 ounces).
Male and female golden-whiskered barbets look quite similar. However, the female's beak is often a bit paler and has a bluish color. Young birds, before they are fully grown, have duller feathers than the adults.
Where it Lives
The golden-whiskered barbet lives in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. It prefers to live in warm, wet forests with many trees. These are called tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. It also lives in forests found on mountains.
Sometimes, you can spot these birds in cacao plantations (where chocolate comes from!) and in forests that are growing back after being cut down. However, they are rarely seen in evergreen forests or swampy areas.
Daily Life and Habits
The golden-whiskered barbet spends most of its day high up in the forest canopy. This is the top layer of leaves and branches in the forest.
These birds mostly eat figs and berries. They have also been seen pecking at dead wood. This suggests they might also look for insects to eat.
They make a sound that goes "too-tuk, too-tuk." When it's breeding season, they sing even when it's very hot during the day.
Reproduction
Golden-whiskered barbets usually breed between February and August. The female bird lays two eggs at a time.
Other Names
In Mandarin Chinese, this bird is called 金须拟䴕 (jīnxū nǐliè). This means "golden-whiskered false woodpecker". It can also be called 金颊拟啄木鸟 (jīn jiá nǐ-zhuómù-niǎo), which means "gold-cheeked false woodpecker."
In Japanese, its name is キホオゴシキドリ or 黄頬五色鳥 (kihō goshikidori). This translates to "yellow-cheeked five-coloured bird."
Images for kids
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An older drawing of a golden-whiskered barbet.
 | Kyle Baker |
 | Joseph Yoakum |
 | Laura Wheeler Waring |
 | Henry Ossawa Tanner |
