Moustached barbet

The moustached barbet (Psilopogon incognitus) is an Asian barbet. Barbets are a group of near passerine birds with a world-wide tropical distribution. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills.

Moustached barbet
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Megalaimidae
Genus: Psilopogon
Species:
P. incognitus
Binomial name
Psilopogon incognitus
(Hume, 1874)
Synonyms

Cyanops incognita
Megalaima incognitus

The moustached barbet is a resident breeder in the hills of Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. It is a species of broadleaf evergreen forest from 600–700 m. It nests in a tree hole.

Head (bottom), illustration by Joseph Smit, 1891

This barbet is 23 cm in length. It is a plump bird, with a short neck, large head and short tail. The bill is dark horn, and the body plumage is green. The adult of the form, P. i. elbeli, which occurs in northern Thailand has a red forehead, green crown with a red spot at the rear, a blue face and throat, and black eyestripe and moustache. The sexes are similar, but the juvenile has a duller, greener head and throat with a narrower moustache..

The other subspecies are nominate P. i. incognitus in Myanmar and western Thailand, and P. i. eurous in east Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

The male's territorial call is a repeated loud u’ik-a-ruk u’ik-a-ruk u’ik-a-ruk.

References
  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Psilopogon incognitus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22681646A92915252. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  • Birdlife International
  • Robson, Craig A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand ISBN 1-84330-921-1
  • Ripley, The Barbets, The Auk Vol 62 1945
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