File:The only way to have a Life is to be citizen of the Nature.jpg

English: Wait Wait! Is it a coppersmith named Mr. Barbet? Well it could almost be that but here we are talking about a very beautiful bird. The red forehead, yellow eye-ring and throat patch with streaked underside and green upper part differentiates it from all the other birds. It gets its name from the fact that it’s calling (metallic tuk…tuk) resembles the hammering of a coppersmith. Both males and females look alike. These birds are found in abundance in gardens, groves and forests. They mostly like to eat fruits, flowers and occasionally eat insects also. They are mostly found in South East Asia especially in India. In summers they love to sunbathe so they sit on top of tall trees during daytime. In winters they are silent and do not call. They fight among each to sit on the branches. The flight of this bird is straight with quick flaps. Being cousins of a woodpecker these birds prefer to have their nest carved out in the dead trees. They may also use the tree holes as nest. At one time three to four eggs are laid. Young ones hatch out in 2 weeks. Both the parents protect the eggs. The eggs are glossless white. Young one looks duller and don’t have red patches. coppersmith barbet, crimson­breasted barbet or coppersmith (Megalaima haemacephala), is a bird with crimson forehead and throat which is best known for its metronomic call that has been likened to a coppersmith striking metal with a hammer. It is a resident found in the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. Like other barbets, they chisel out a hole inside a tree to build their nest. They are mainly fruit eating but will take sometimes insects, especially winged termites.

Description

This species of barbet is found to overlap in range with several larger barbets in most of South Asia. In the Eastern Ghats ,Western Ghats it partly overlaps with the Malabar barbet which is of a very similar size but having a more rapid call. The red forehead, yellow eyering and throat patch with streaked underside and green upperparts, it is fairly distinctive. Juveniles are duller and lack the red patches. The sexes are alike. 

Habitat and distribution Throughout their wide range they are found in gardens, groves and sparse woodland. Habitats with trees having dead wood suitable for excavation is said to be important. Birds nest and roost in cavities. They are rare in the dry desert zones and the very wet forests.

Behavior and ecology Keeps solitary, pairs, or small groups; Larger parties occasionally on abundantly fruiting Ficus trees. Fond of sunning themselves in the morning on bare top branches of tall trees, often flitting about to sit next to each other. The flight is straight, with rapid flaps. They compete with other cavity nesting birds and frugivores. Megalaima asiatica have been noted to evict them from their nest holes, while red­vented bulbuls have been seen to indulge in kleptoparasitism, robbing the male of berries brought to the female at the nest. The nest holes are also used for roosting and some birds roost alone in cavities and these often roost during part of the day. Immature will roost with the parents but often return to roost early so as not to be prevented by the parents from entering the roost cavity.

Vocalization The call is a loud rather metallic tuk…tuk…tuk (or tunk), reminiscent of a copper sheet being beaten, giving the bird its name. Repeated monotonously for long periods, starting with a subdued tuk and building up to an even volume and tempo, the latter varying from 100 to 120 per minute and can continue with as many as 204 notes. They are silent and do not call in winter. The beak remains shut during each call ­ a patch of bare skin on both sides of the throat inflates and collapses with each tuk like a rubber bulb and the head is bobbed.

Diet Prefers banyan, peepul, and other wild figs, various drupes and berries, and the occasional insect, caught in aerial sallies. Petals of flowers may also be included in their diet.

Breeding

Courtship involves singing, puffing of the throat, bobbing of the head, flicking of the tail, ritual feeding and all opreening. They breed through much of the year with local variation. The breeding season is mainly February to April in India. Both sexes excavate the nest on the underside of a narrow horizontal branch. They may also roost inside the nest holes. Three or four eggs are laid and like in many hole nesting birds the incubation period is not well known but has been estimated to be about 2 weeks. Both sexes incubate. Often two broods are raised in quick succession.