A plump, colorful fruit-loving bird commonly found in India and Sri Lanka, especially in gardens, parks, and wooded areas. With its bold calls and bright green plumage, this barbet is a familiar resident in both urban and forest settings, often heard before it’s seen. Despite the name, only its head is brown — the rest of its body blends beautifully with tree canopies, making it both eye-catching and camouflaged at the same time.
The brown-headed barbet has a stocky build, a large, pale beak, and a short tail. Its head is a soft brown or olive-gray, contrasting with a mostly bright green body and hints of yellow around the throat or chest. It has white streaks on the face and neck and pale blue patches around the eyes, giving it a slightly quirky expression. The bare skin around its eyes is often tinged blue or gray, depending on age and lighting.
This barbet is best known for its loud, repetitive call, which sounds like a steady “kutroo…kutroo…kutroo.” Males and females both call, especially during the breeding season, and often respond to each other in a musical duet. These calls can echo for long distances and are often heard from high treetops or dense canopy, even in city neighborhoods.
Their diet is mostly frugivorous, meaning they eat a lot of fruits and berries, such as figs, guavas, papayas, and mangoes. They also occasionally consume insects, especially during breeding season, for protein. This fruit-heavy diet makes them important seed dispersers, helping regenerate trees and plants in their environment.
Distribution
India
Nepal
Sri LankaAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic / Monomorphic (size)
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Frugivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
