Psilopogon haemacephalus (Statius Muller, 1776)

A small but distinctive barbet with a red forehead and throat patch and a yellow eyering. Its call is reminiscent of of a copper sheet being beaten, giving the bird its name.

This is a small, heavy-billed barbet, with dark green plumage. It has a crimson forehead and breast, with pale yellow throat and eye-patch. Its tail is short and appears triangular in shape during its rather finch-like flight. It is found in woodland containing fruit trees where it can be seen alone or in loose parties. It feeds on fruits and berries, and is especially fond of banyan and peepul figs. It is commonly seen and heard in the Park, very often calling from the uppermost branches of the peepul tree to the left of the main gate. It is most easily identified by its very familiar call which gives it its name, and is like the sound of a coppersmith hammering on metal. The loud, monotonous ringing tuk, tuk is repeated in long runs throughout the day. The call increases during the hot season and in the hotter parts of the day. It has been timed as fast as 120 tuks per minute, and the crimson breast can be seen to expand at each call. It nests in hollows in soft-wooded trees such as coral and drumstick, or in the branches of dead trees.

The coppersmith is a small bird with a bright crimson forehead and yellow neck.

They nest in holes in trees

The season ranges between January and June and sometimes two broods are reared in. succession. The eggs are laid in hollows 6 to 8 inches deep excavated by the birds in branches or decaying poles and tree stumps, at moderate heights. The tunnels are lengthened anil used year after year and may in time become several feet deep. Softwood trees such as Coral and Drumstick are commonly selected. As in woodpeckers, the entrance hole—about 2 inches in diameter—is placed on the underside when a horizontal branch is used. The eggs -usually three—are glossless white, unmarked. Both sexes share in excavating the nest tunnel, incubation and feeding the young.

The are important seed dispersers for many tree species, especially figs (Ficus).

Slightly larger and more dumpy than the House-Sparrow.

A heavy-billed grass-green bird with crimson breast and forehead, and green-streaked yellowish underparts. Short square-cut tail, distinctly triangular in overhead flight. Sexes alike.

Its monotonous `tuk, tuk, tuk ´ call is commonly heard in the region.

The Crimson-breasted Barbet is a common bird throughout its range. Its loud, monotonous ringing tuk . . . tuk, etc. as of a distant coppersmith hammering on his metal, every 2 seconds or so throughout the hotter parts of the day, with no variation and seldom a pause—are amongst the more familiar bird voices of the countryside. It is found wherever there are trees—especially Banyan, Peepal and the various other Fici — be it in outlying forest or in the heart of a noisy city. When calling the head is bobbed from side to side producing a curious ventriloquistic effect. This, combined with the assimilative colouration of the bird, makes it difficult to locate amongst the foliage. The Coppersmith is entirely arboreal and never descends to the ground. Its food consists almost exclusively of fruits and berries of which Ficus figs form an overwhelming proportion. The birds collect in large numbers to feed on trees laden with these figs, in company with mynas, bulbuls, green pigeons and a host of other frugivorous species. It occasionally captures moths and winged termites, launching ungainly and ludicrous aerial sallies from a branch in their pursuit.

They are found commonly wherever there are fruiting trees, especially the various species of wild fig, be it in outlying forest or within a noisy city.

Seen singly or loose parties, on Banyan and Peepal trees in fruit.

IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern

Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern ver 3.1