Red-headed Barbet

Eubucco bourcierii

humming birds in finca la conchita

Quick Facts

  • Scientific Name: Eubucco bourcierii
  • Family: Capitonidae
  • Known Nicknames: CabezĂłn cabecirrojo, Red-headed Barbet
  • Average Length: 15–16 cm / 5.9–6.3 in
  • Average Weight: 29–47 g / 1.0–1.7 oz
  • Wingspan: 22–25 cm / 8.7–9.8 in
  • Key Feature: Vibrant red head in males and robust, pale yellow bill
  • Primary Diet: Frugivore and Insectivore
  • Range: Highlands of Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru
  • Habitat: Humid montane forests, cloud forests, and secondary growth
  • Social Structure: Solitary, pairs, or small family groups; occasionally mixed-species flocks
  • Nesting/Breeding: Excavated cavities in dead trees or branches
  • Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC)
  • Population Trend: Stable

The Red-headed Barbet (*Eubucco bourcierii*) is a vibrant, stocky bird that adds a splash of tropical color to the humid montane forests of Central and South America. This species is most famous for its striking sexual dimorphism: the male boasts a dazzling crimson-red head and throat framed by a golden-yellow collar and olive-green wings, while the female displays a more subtle, sophisticated palette of yellow, green, and blue-gray. Both sexes possess the signature "barbs" or stiff bristles around their thick, pale yellow bills, which assist them as they forage for fruit and insects. Often seen acrobatically hanging upside down to reach ripe berries or joining mixed-species flocks in the canopy, the Red-headed Barbet is a charismatic and jewel-like inhabitant of the Neotropical highlands.

Habitats & Distribution

This species is native to the humid highlands of Central and South America, with a range extending from the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama southward through the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru. It is primarily found along the slopes of these mountain ranges, occupying both the Pacific and Amazonian drainages depending on the specific geographic region.

Within this range, it inhabits the canopy and middle levels of wet montane forests, cloud forests, and dense secondary growth. It frequently visits forest edges and nearby clearings where fruiting trees are abundant. Typically occurring at elevations between 400 and 2,400 meters, it favors environments with high humidity and lush vegetation, where it often joins mixed-species foraging flocks.

Behaviours & Reproduction

Primarily social, these birds are frequently observed in pairs or small family groups as they forage through the canopy and mid-story of humid forests. While they maintain territories during the breeding season, they often join mixed-species flocks outside of this period to search for fruits and insects. Communication between partners is essential for social cohesion, involving synchronized vocalizations and mutual preening to reinforce pair bonds.

Their reproductive cycle is defined by a monogamous mating system where both sexes cooperate to excavate nesting cavities in dead trees or soft wood. The female typically lays a clutch of two to five eggs, with both parents sharing the duties of incubation and feeding the altricial young. This collaborative approach to nest building and chick rearing ensures higher survival rates for the offspring within the competitive environment of the tropical forest.

Diet

The Red-headed Barbet maintains a diverse omnivorous diet that primarily consists of various wild fruits and berries, though it also consumes a significant amount of animal protein. These birds are active foragers in the mid-to-upper canopy levels, where they hunt for insects such as beetles, caterpillars, and ants, as well as spiders. An interesting aspect of their feeding behavior is their frequent participation in mixed-species foraging flocks, which aids them in locating food sources more effectively. When capturing larger insect prey, they often use their robust bills to beat the item against a branch to soften or kill it before swallowing. Additionally, because they consume whole fruits and later disperse the seeds through their droppings, these barbets play a crucial role in the regeneration and health of their montane forest ecosystems.

Colors

The male Red-headed Barbet is distinguished by a brilliant crimson head and throat, a white collar, and olive-green upperparts, while the female displays a more muted greenish-yellow head with a blue-gray band. Both sexes feature yellow underparts with dark-streaked flanks and a stout yellow bill. Their green dorsal feathers provide essential camouflage against tropical foliage, effectively blending the birds into the dense canopy.

Fun Facts

These acrobatic foragers are known for hanging upside down like gymnasts to pluck fruit or probe dead leaf clusters for hidden insects. While the male is famous for his brilliant crimson hood, the species exhibits such extreme sexual dimorphism that females were once mistaken for an entirely different species due to their complex yellow, green, and blue-gray facial patterns. Despite their small size, they produce a deep, resonant hooting call that sounds more like a distant engine than a bird. They are also industrious excavators, using their heavy bills to carve out perfectly circular nesting holes in decaying wood, which they often defend aggressively from much larger birds.