The orange-fronted barbet is a species of bird in the family Capitonidae. It is found Ecuador and Colombia.
Region
Chocó bioregion (western Colombia to northwestern Ecuador)
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid lowland and foothill forests, forest edges, and tall secondary growth. It favors mature forest with fruiting trees but adapts to selectively logged areas and semi-open woodland. Most frequently seen in the mid to upper canopy, where it forages methodically among dense foliage. It also visits fruiting trees in clearings and along rivers.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1400 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A chunky, fruit-eating barbet of the Chocó lowlands and foothills, often located by its persistent, hollow duet notes. It nests in cavities it excavates in decaying wood, usually in dead snags. By swallowing fruits whole and later regurgitating seeds, it is an important seed disperser in humid forests.
Temperament
secretive but often sits conspicuously while feeding
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with direct, undulating flights between trees
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly, in pairs, or in small family groups, sometimes joining mixed-species flocks at fruiting trees. Pairs excavate nest cavities in dead wood and defend a small territory around nest and key fruit sources. Both sexes likely participate in incubation and chick rearing.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of deep, hollow “poop” or “puk” notes, often delivered in rhythmic, persistent sequences. Pairs frequently duet, with evenly spaced notes carrying far through dense forest.
Plumage
Stout, short-tailed barbet with mostly green upperparts and yellowish underparts; males show brighter head colors while females are duller and may appear more streaked or scaled below.
Diet
Primarily eats a wide variety of soft fruits and berries, swallowing them whole and later regurgitating seeds. Supplements diet with insects and other small arthropods gleaned from foliage and bark. Occasionally takes small vertebrates or flower parts, but fruit remains the core resource.
Preferred Environment
Feeds mainly in the mid to upper canopy at fruiting trees, including along forest edges and river corridors. Also uses tall secondary growth and partially disturbed forest where fruit supply is reliable.
