Nesting of the Coppersmith Barbet

Mike Tan a.k.a woof came across a Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala) one evening in November 2008 roosting inside a tree cavity (above left). He returned to the area regularly and in late January 2009 found the bird still around the vicinity (above right). He later located a breeding pair using a cavity in a nearby tree.

In March, a chick apparently hatched and he monitored its development for the next month and a half, observing the adult visiting regularly, bringing insects, etc to feed it (above).

The above images show the antics of the grown up chick that eventually fledged.

“Many other birds and animals tried to check out the chicks: Collared Kingfishers, starlings, Black-naped Orioles, mynas… All bigger than the adult Coppersmith Barbet,” recounts Mike. However, one adult was always around while the other was out foraging. And the duty of the attending adult? To ensure the safety of the chick – diving and hissing at the intruders to chase them away.

Images by Mike Tan.

This post is a cooperative effort between NaturePixels.org and BESG to bring the study of bird behaviour through photography to a wider audience.