“A Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala) was excavating a nesting cavity in a rotting branch of a payung Sumatra of sandbox tree (Hura crepitans) that grows outside one of my neighbour’s house. The branch is angulated at 35-40º and the cavity is about 2.5 metres from the ground. This height is lower than the 4-15 metres that Wells (1999) report for this species. However, Short & Horne (2001) gives the height of cavities as 1.5-15 metres or more.

“The branch has an existing hole higher up that could be an old nest. This tree has been the favourite perch for this bird in my neighbourhood.

“The excavating started on Saturday morning (above). I was careful to watch without disturbing the bird as well as not bringing undue attention – worried some of my neighbours (having known them for years) are not bird sensitive and may damage the nesting. It knew I was watching but tolerated me.

“The Coppersmith Barbet was a very fast worker. I was busy Saturday and could not watch all the time, but from 9 am to noon it was able to excavate a hole large enough for it to fit in partially.

“And by evening it was able to completely enter the hole (above left). It did not seem to take a break. My watching was intermittent throughout the day (from my home and occasionally using the car as a hide), but every time I looked it was at the hole. It tends to collect a lot of wood chips in its mouth (above right) before discarding them somewhere else.

“By Sunday the hole was sufficiently large for the bird to enter and excavate deeper down. It came out periodically to dispose of the wood chips (above left). It was a hot day and the bird was panting at times (above right). It worked almost the whole day, to complete by evening. By Monday it was seldom seen, but then my observation was limited as I was at work most of the time.”

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Canning Garden Home, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
12th December 2009

Note:
Barbets generally do not make use of cavities abandoned by other birds but may reuse their old cavities after extending and creating a new opening. If the cavity is not on a vertical trunk or branch, the cavity is excavated on the underside of a slanting branch.

Depending on the softness of the wood and the bill morphology of the barbet concerned, the number of days from start to finish may take 18-30 days (Short & Horne, 2002). This Coppersmith Barbet’s record breaking time in excavating its cavity can be due to the advanced stage of rotting of the branch. There was a large whitish patch on the upper part of the branch, indicating that fungal activity was at an advance stage. It is possible that the branch was already hollow, the barbet only making an opening or enlarging an existing opening.

References:
1. Short, L. L. & J. F. M. Horne, 2001. Toucans, barbets and honeyguides: Ramphastidaer, Capitonidae and Indicatoridae. Oxford University Press. 526 pp.
2. Short, L. L. & J. F. M. Horne, 2002. Family Capitonidae (Barbets). In: del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott & J. Sargatal (eds.), Handbook of the birds of the world. Vol. 7. Jacamars to Woodpeckers. Lynx Editions, Barcelona. Pp. 140-219.
3. Wells, D.R., 1999. The birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsular. Vol. I, Non-passerines. Academic Press, London. 648 pp.

Mike Tan a.k.a. woof encountered a Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala) excavating a roosting-nesting cavity in November-December 2009 (above left). The small cavity in the tree trunk was significantly enlarged within a fortnight as the barbet worked furiously at it (above right). Once the cavity was completed, the barbet returned nightly to roost in it (below left).

Ownership of a nesting hole does not last long in Singapore where there is a shortage of such cavities and competition for occupancy is intense. After all, very few birds are capable of creating a fresh nesting cavity. And natural cavities are few and far between, considering that old and rotting trees are constantly being removed in urban areas. In the forest such trees eventually collapse.

Before long the Coppersmith Barbet was evicted from the cavity it excavated by a pair of Asian Glossy Starlings (Aplonis panayensis). The starlings were seen cleaning up its newly acquired home (above right).

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

We are always interested in how birds handle figs, not just which species eat figs. Here, we have two images of the Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala), taking figs from the bodh tree (Ficus religiosa). The image by Jay Tan (top left) shows a barbet picking a ripe fig and in the process, squeezing it. The image by Johnny Wee (top right) shows another barbet eating a fig by first squashing it between its mandibles. No doubt the large broad bill is well adapted for such eating behaviour.

“The following is a short description of a close encounter with juvenile Coppersmith Barbets (Megalaima haemacephala) one late afternoon.

“A juvenile barbet bird was first observed to be picking fruits from a figging tree. From afar, the bird appeared drab lacking vividly colored plumage, resembling more of a juvenile starling at first glance. On closer inspection viewed through a telephoto lens, the avian appeared to be a just-fledged barbet characterised by partially developed red crown and spartan green plumage. The following evening, a family of more than four Coppersmith Barbets were observed to be feasting on the same tree. Members of this family appeared to have developed fully their vibrant hues of red crowns, yellow chins, crimson eye ring, vivid greens on their back, and streaky green under belly. Similar to the barbets observed day earlier, the orange color of their feet appeared incomplete. This is evident by localised patches of white tissue all over the tarsus areas, suggesting that perhaps the barbet observed earlier may be a late fledging chick as compared to the rest of the family members when all have developed full plumage colors.

“Image above-left shows a well developed young Coppersmith Barbet with glowing red crown perched on a branch of the figging tree. Image above-right shows a coppersmith barbet picking a fig by suspending sideways on the fruiting branch.”

Dr Jeff Lim
Singapore
4th October 2009

This is another feeding observation by Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS but this time by the Gold-whiskered Barbet (Megalaima chrysopogon) feeding on black morinda, also known as mengkudu daun kecil (Morinda elliptica) fruits. The location was the Kledang-Sayong Forest Reserve in Perak, Malaysia. It was on 12th September 2009.

“In my experience this is the friendliest of the barbets. Both the Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala) and Lineated Barbet (Megalaima lineata hodgsoni) visit our garden daily but are relatively shy, the Lineated more than the Coppersmith.

“But the Gold-whiskered Barbet has allowed me many watching opportunities to observe its feeding habits, usually from 3-4 m distance, sometimes closer. It does not seem very disturbed by the camera as well.

“Generally I have seen the Gold-whiskered Barbet feed on figs but it was interesting to watch a group of four feeding on the morinda. And as far as I could make out, all four birds were adults. They meticulously searched the tree and devoured all the available ‘ripe’ ones. The fruit looks hard but watching them eat, it is obviously soft within.

“Once a fruit was selected, it was first crushed between the mandibles (above). The head of the bird swung side to side to enhance this activity. Once the fruit was sufficiently squashed, it was swallowed.”

This black morinda is named as such because the fruit, actually a compound fruiting head developing from many flowers, ripens black and lumpy (left). It is closely related to great morinda or mengkudu besar (M. citrifolia), the fruits of which gives you the health drink, noni. To make your own noni, you collect the ripe fruits, pack them inside a bottle and leave it out in the sun. The clear liquid that collects at the bottom of the bottle can be taken, a spoonful a day, if you believe in its curative properties. And if you can tolerate the putrid odour.

All images by Amar-Singh HSS (Dato, Dr)