The moustached barbet 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.
Region
Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs from southern Myanmar through western and northern Thailand into Laos and Vietnam, mainly in evergreen and mixed moist forests. It favors mature forest but also uses forest edges, bamboo thickets, and secondary growth with abundant fruiting trees. It spends most of its time in the mid- to upper canopy and may visit orchards or gardens when fruit is abundant. Local presence is tied to availability of large trees for nesting and fig-bearing trees for food.
Altitude Range
200–2000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The moustached barbet is an Asian barbet named for the bristly 'moustache' around its heavy bill. Like other barbets, it excavates its own nest cavity in dead wood using its stout beak. It is an important seed disperser, especially for figs, helping regenerate tropical forests. Pairs often duet with loud, rhythmic calls that carry far through the canopy.
Head (bottom), illustration by Joseph Smit, 1891
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually found alone or in pairs, occasionally joining mixed-species flocks when trees are fruiting. Pairs defend territories and excavate nest cavities in dead or soft wood. Both sexes participate in incubation and feeding of chicks.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud, rhythmic series of hollow, resonant notes delivered in steady tempo, often as a duet between mates. Calls carry long distances through the forest and may continue for several minutes.
Plumage
Stocky, green-bodied barbet with a bright blue head and throat, red forecrown, and a bold black moustachial stripe. Underparts are mostly green with slight yellowish tones; wings and tail are green. Feathers appear sleek but dense, with facial bristles around the bill giving a ‘moustached’ look.
Diet
Primarily eats fruit, especially figs (Ficus), berries, and drupes, swallowing many items whole and later regurgitating seeds. Supplements diet with insects such as beetles and termites, especially during breeding. By dispersing seeds, it plays a key role in forest dynamics.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the mid to upper canopy of mature forest and at forest edges where fruiting trees are abundant. Will also forage in secondary growth and occasionally in orchards or gardens with suitable fruit.
