The Taiwan barbet, also known as the embroidered barbet, is a species of bird endemic to Taiwan.
Region
East Asia
Typical Environment
Endemic to Taiwan, it occupies lowland to montane broadleaf forests, forest edges, orchards, and urban parks. It favors areas with abundant fruiting trees such as figs and banyans and adapts well to secondary growth and wooded suburbs. The species uses tree cavities for nesting and roosting, often in deadwood or softened trunks. It is commonly seen in gardens and campuses where fruiting trees are present.
Altitude Range
0–2800 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Taiwan barbet, also called the embroidered barbet, is a colorful cavity‑nesting bird found only in Taiwan. Its loud, rhythmic 'tock-tock' calls carry over long distances, especially during the breeding season. It was formerly placed in the genus Megalaima and has at times been treated as a subspecies of the black-browed barbet.
Temperament
vocal and territorial
Flight Pattern
short, direct flights with rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly, in pairs, or small family groups. Pairs excavate nest cavities in soft or decaying trunks and limbs, sharing incubation and chick-rearing duties. Breeding occurs in spring–summer, with strong site fidelity to productive feeding and nesting areas.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud, evenly paced series of hollow 'tock-tock' notes repeated for long bouts, often from exposed perches. Calls can be near-continuous at dawn in the breeding season and carry across neighborhoods and parks.
Plumage
Predominantly green body with a strikingly multicolored head and throat; the plumage is dense and glossy.
Diet
Primarily eats fruit, especially figs, banyan berries, guava, and other soft fruits. Supplements its diet with insects such as beetles, ants, and caterpillars, particularly when feeding nestlings. It occasionally takes buds and seeds and visits fruiting trees in groups.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the mid to upper canopy of fruiting trees in forests, edges, orchards, and urban green spaces. Often forages methodically along branches, gleaning fruit and insects, and will descend to lower levels when fruit is abundant.
