Great Hill Barbet nesting in a tree cavity

A Barbet sits on a nearby branch waiting for passersby to pass by, so it can approach its next-hole with the goodies in its beak. Having fed the chicks, it asks them to turn around and carries away a faecal globule with their poop in it, so as not to allow infections or bacteria to breed inside the nest-hole. To not attract the attention of other predators, the parents abandons the fecal globule at a great distance from its nest.

The Himalayan barbet has a green tail and yellow beak. They chisel out a hole inside a tree-trunk to build their nest. They are mainly fruit eating but will take insects. The Great Himalayan Barbet's scientific name is Megalaema virens.

The Great Barbet (Megalaima virens) is an Asian barbet. Barbets are a group of near passerine birds with a worldwide tropical distribution. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills.

The Great Barbet is a resident breeder in the lower-to-middle altitudes of the Himalayas, ranging across northern India, Nepal and Bhutan, and some parts of Southeast Asia as far away as Laos. It is a species of broadleaf evergreen woodlands at 600-2,565 m altitude. It nests in a tree hole.

This is the largest barbet at 31--33 cm (12--13 in) in length and a weight of 192--295 g (6.8--10.4 oz).[2] It is a plump bird, with a short neck, large head and short tail.

The adult has a blue head, large yellow bill, brown back and breast, green-streaked yellow belly and red vent. The rest of the plumage is green.

Both sexes and immature birds are similar. The male's territorial call is a very loud kay-oh. The alarm is a harsh keeab, and another call is a repetitive piou-piou-piou-piou.

Source: wikipedia

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