|
22 cm in length.
Between the Red-vented Bulbul and Common Mynah in
size. Sexes alike. The yellow forehead, blue face, and comparatively small beak,
distinguish this bird from the last.
|
|
Throughout its range it
is a common bird, not shy, and well known for its resounding calls, which form a pleasant
feature of its haunts. The Yellow-fronted Barbet feeds on numerous kinds of berries, wild
figs, and cultivated fruits such as guavas and pawpaws-being rather a pest in orchards.
It feeds its young mainly on fruit, but also on some animal food as W.W.A. Philips
has published a photograph of one at its nest-hole with a gecko in its beak.
The
breeding season is from February to May, with a secondary season in August-September, but
an occasional nest may be found at other times of the year. The nest-hole is very
similar to that of the Brown-headed Barbet but slightly smaller- about two inches in
diameter. The cavity inside is oval and, if a new one, is about eight inches deep;
but sometimes the birds use a nest for several years running, digging it deeper each year
until it may be two feet or more deep. The height from the ground varies greatly,
but is usually from six to ten feet. The two or three white, and smooth but not
glossy, eggs measure about 28 × 21 mm. |
