Within the high branches of tall trees, one would often see a flash of red and yellow moving around and almost becoming inconspicuous within the leaves. We would wonder if it was some kind of a trick until the unmistaken sound of a hammer beating on a copper vessel comes from the direction of this flash of red and yellow. This is the unique call of the Coppersmith Barbet, one of the four species of Barbets found in Goa and a very common species in and around our cities and villages. There are nine recognized sub-species of this species described till date, of which the sub-species indica is found in the Indian subcontinent. This species has a red forehead, yellow eye-ring and throat patch with streaked underside and green upperparts.
Throughout the Indian subcontinent, the Coppersmith Barbet’s range overlaps with the other larger Barbets. In Western Ghats and in Goa, their range overlaps with the Malabar Barbet which is almost of the similar size, but is quite different in its appearance and call along with that of the Brown-headed Barbet and the White-cheeked Barbet.
Throughout their range, Coppersmith Barbets prefer groves, woodland and gardens as preferred habitats while those with trees having dead wood suitable for excavation is presumed to be an important factor. They usually avoid very drier regions and very wet forests.
The Coppersmith Barbet is usually a solitary species but at times can also be found in pairs, or small groups. Often, we can see larger parties feeding on abundantly fruiting Fig trees. This species is a voracious eater and they eat nearly 1.5 to 3 times their body weight in berries each day. Their diet usually includes banyan, peepul, and other wild figs, various berries, and sometimes insects. It has also been noted that petals of flowers also forms a part of their diet.
The call of the Coppersmith Barbet is a loud metallic tuk…tuk…tuk, similar to that of a copper sheet being beaten by a smith and hence giving the bird its name. This call is repeated monotonously for long periods. It starts with a subdued tuk and keeps building up to an even volume and tempo.
Breeding season in India is between February and April. Courtship involves a lot of display, ritual feeding and allopreening, a behavior where one individual helps the other of the same species in preening. Nest is a hole excavated in dry tree branch. Both the sexes take part in incubating the eggs and taking care of the young.
International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed this bird as Least Concerned in terms of conservation prioritization because of its large range.
Image Credit: Milind Kulkarni
