Malaysian birds - Brown Barbet

Malaysian Birds

Brown Barbet

Size & diagnostic markings:- 20 cm. This is a stocky little bird but not tiny. Unlike normal Barbet, this is the only Barbet that is not green in color. Almost dark brown on the upper part and lighter brown on the under part. The chest and breast appear a pale color. Distinctive also would be the pink-orange colored leg and feet. The beak in dark grey.

Distribution :- This is a bird from the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. In peninsula Malaysia, the bird is fairly common

Habitats & preferences:- This is a bird of the lowland forest, staying at the canopy level and coming down during the fruiting season. This bird is also seen at the lower level of sub-montane forest like Awana.

I would say that this is a medium size bird of 20 cm. First impression - with its shorter tail, the bird looks small and roundish. Unfortunately its brown color did not help and from distances of over 100 feet high, it is quite difficult to make an instant ID despite of seeing it with a thick bill.

Yes, the bird is found in forest edges below 1,000 m high. Most time, when they are not feeding, I saw them they were in canopy level but actually the bird prefer middle storey.

Again, most times I have seen them in Ampang [lowlands] or in Awana [Sub-montane] the bird is solitary. While they descended for teh fruits, at close range, the reddish feet gave the clue away. Since there were so much of fruits to share, they do get together and became a gregarious bunch. One more point, they do hang themselves upside down. You will find them when the air is filled with lots of noises, and a cluster of few birds together. Or, a quiet loner that is not driven away by human presence.

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This is one Barbet that do not follow the regular color as well as the habits of most Barbets. First, it is brown instead of being Green. Secondly, this is a very visible bird, that comes down to low scrubs and remain in the open.