The five-colored barbet is a species of bird in the family Capitonidae, the New World barbets. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.
Region
Chocó biogeographic region (western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador)
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid lowland and foothill rainforests on the Pacific slope, mainly in the Chocó and adjacent western Andean foothills. It favors mature forest but also uses edges, river corridors, and tall secondary growth with fruiting trees. Most encounters are in the mid to upper canopy, where it forages quietly in pairs or small groups. The species is patchy where forests are fragmented and becomes scarce in heavily disturbed areas.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This striking New World barbet inhabits humid forests on the Pacific slope of Colombia and Ecuador and is named for the male’s mix of five bold colors. It is an important seed disperser, swallowing fruits whole and carrying seeds across the forest. Like other barbets, it excavates nest cavities in decayed wood, which may later be used by other cavity-nesting animals. Ongoing lowland deforestation in the Chocó region likely affects its numbers and local distribution.
Temperament
quiet and rather shy in the canopy
Flight Pattern
short undulating flights between tall trees
Social Behavior
Usually found singly, in pairs, or small family groups; occasionally joins mixed-species flocks at fruiting trees. Monogamous pairs excavate a nest cavity in soft or decaying wood, sharing incubation and chick-rearing duties. Nesting often coincides with peak fruit availability.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a series of low, hollow hoots or whistles, often delivered in steady, monotonous sequences from a concealed perch. Calls can carry through dense foliage and are used for pair contact and territory advertisement.
Plumage
Male is boldly patterned with a glossy dark back and head contrasted by bright patches on the throat, breast, and belly; female is duller with more olive-brown tones and fine streaking below.
Diet
Primarily frugivorous, taking a wide variety of rainforest berries and drupes, which it swallows whole and later regurgitates or passes seeds intact. It supplements fruit with insects and other small arthropods gleaned from foliage and bark. By moving between fruiting trees, it plays a key role in seed dispersal.
Preferred Environment
Forages mostly in the mid to upper canopy at fruiting trees along forest edges, clearings, and river margins. Will also feed in tall secondary growth where suitable fruit resources are present.
