BIRDGACHA / FIELD NOTES

New World Barbets

New World barbets are stocky forest birds with large heads, substantial bills and conspicuous facial or crown markings. Bright red, yellow and green can occur together, although the arrangement of those colours and the bill's proportions differ between species. Examples include Scarlet-crowned Barbet (Capito aurovirens), Lemon-throated Barbet (Eubucco richardsoni), and Scarlet-banded Barbet (Capito wallacei). Fruit is an important food, supplemented by insects and other small items collected among forest trees. A clear view of the crown and throat often distinguishes birds with otherwise similar green bodies.

How to recognize New World Barbets

Compare the large head and stout bill with the compact body.
Check crown, face and throat colours as separate patches.
Use local elevation and forest type to narrow similarly coloured species.

Where they live

The family occurs in tropical Central and South America. Humid lowland and montane forests provide feeding trees and nesting opportunities for different species. Some use forest edges or disturbed woodland, but local elevation and the continuity of suitable forest remain important when narrowing the possibilities. Check elevation alongside country: lowland forest barbets and Andean species need not share the same local habitat.

Species accounts: Scarlet-crowned Barbet · Lemon-throated Barbet · Scarlet-banded Barbet

Sources — natural history: Wikipedia: New World Barbets · Cornell Birds of the World: Scarlet-crowned Barbet (Capito aurovirens), species natural history.

Classification: IOC World Bird List: family names and classification.

Some Cornell Birds of the World account sections require a subscription.

Updated 2026-11-06. Species counts follow this site's catalogue. This is an editorial summary, not an expert peer review.