Asian barbet

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Asian barbets
Temporal range: Pleistocene to Recent
Fire tufted barbet.jpg
Fire-tufted barbet
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Infraorder: Ramphastides
Family: Megalaimidae
Blyth, 1852
Genera

Psilopogon
Caloramphus

The Asian barbets are a family of bird species, the Megalaimidae, comprising two genera with 30 species native to the forests of the Indomalayan realm from Tibet to Indonesia. They were once clubbed with all barbets in the family Capitonidae but the Old World species have been found to be distinctive and are considered, along with the Lybiidae and Ramphastidae, as sister groups. In the past the species were placed in three genera, Caloramphus, Megalaima and Psilopogon, [1] but studies show that Psilopogon to be nested within the clade of Megalaima. Since members of this clade are better treated under a single genus, they have been moved to the genus Psilopogon which was described and erected earlier than Megalaima and is therefore chosen on the basis of taxonomic priority principles. Nearly all members of the family are now in the genus Psilopogon, with the exception of the Caloramphus which is thought to have genetically diverged from the common ancestor around 21.32 million years ago. The latter species is distinct enough to warrant placement in a distinct subfamily Caloramphinae. [2] [3] The family name is derived from that of the genus Megalaima which means ‘large throat’, from the Greek mega (μέγας, ‘large, great’) and laimos ( λαιμός , ‘throat’). [4]

Classification

Great Barbet (48703743552).jpg
Great barbet
Lineated Barbet (Megalaima lineata) - Flickr - Lip Kee (1).jpg
Lineated barbet
Red throated barbet.jpg
Red-throated barbet

Subfamily Megalaiminae

Subfamily Caloramphinae

Related Research Articles

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Bunting (bird) Genus of birds

The buntings are a group of Old World passerine birds forming the genus Emberiza, the only genus in the family Emberizidae. The family contains 45 species. They are seed-eating birds with stubby, conical bills.

Coppersmith barbet Species of bird

The coppersmith barbet, also called crimson-breasted barbet and coppersmith, is an Asian barbet with crimson forehead and throat, known for its metronomic call that sounds similar to a coppersmith striking metal with a hammer. It is a resident bird in the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. It carves out holes inside a tree to build its nest. It is predominantly frugivorous, but has been observed eating insects, especially winged termites.

White-cheeked barbet Species of bird found in southern India

The white-cheeked barbet or small green barbet is a species of Asian barbet found in southern India. It is very similar to the more widespread brown-headed barbet, but this species has a distinctive supercilium and a broad white cheek stripe below the eye and is found in the forest areas of the Western Ghats, parts of the Eastern Ghats and adjoining hills. The brown-headed barbet has an orange eye-ring but the calls are very similar and the two species occur together in some of the drier forests to the east of the Western Ghats. Like all other Asian barbets, they are mainly frugivorous, and use their bills to excavate nest cavities in trees.

Malabar barbet Species of bird

The Malabar barbet is an Asian barbet native to the Western Ghats in India. It was formerly treated as a race of the crimson-fronted barbet. It overlaps in some places with the range of the coppersmith barbet and has a similar but more rapid call.

Neotropical parrot Subfamily of birds

The neotropical parrots or New World parrots comprise about 150 species in 32 genera found throughout South and Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean islands. They are also present on a few Pacific islands such as the Galápagos. Among them are some of the most familiar and iconic parrots, including the blue and gold macaw, sun conure, and yellow-headed amazon.

African barbet Family of birds

The African barbets are birds in the family Lybiidae. There are 43 species ranging from the type genus Lybius of forest interior to the tinkerbirds (Pogoniulus) of forest and scrubland. They are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, with the exception of the far south-west of South Africa.

Great barbet Species of bird

The great barbet is an Asian barbet native to the Indian sub-continent and Southeast Asia, where it inhabits foremost forests up to 3,000 m (9,800 ft) altitude. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2004 because of its wide distribution.

Golden-throated barbet Species of bird

The golden-throated barbet is an Asian barbet native to Southeast Asia, where it inhabits foremost forests between 900 and 2,700 m altitude. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because of its wide distribution and stable population.

Blue-eared barbet Species of bird

The blue-eared barbet is a barbet in the Megalaimidae family native to mainland Southeast Asia. Because of its wide distribution and stable population it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Black-browed barbet Species of bird

The black-browed barbet is an Asian barbet native to Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra, where it inhabits foremost forests between 600 and 2,000 m altitude. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because of its wide distribution and stable population.

Golden-whiskered barbet Species of bird

The golden-whiskered barbet is an Asian barbet species native to the western Malay Archipelago, where it inhabits foremost forests up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) elevation. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2004 because of its wide distribution.

Red-vented barbet Species of bird

The red-vented barbet is an Asian barbet native to Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, where it inhabits subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

<i>Psilopogon</i> Genus of birds

Psilopogon is a genus of Old World barbets that used to include only a single species, the fire-tufted barbet. Results of molecular phylogenetic analyses indicate that the genus is nested within an evolutionary branch consisting of Asian barbets that were formerly placed in the genus Megalaima proposed by George Robert Gray in 1841. Since Psilopogon was proposed by Salomon Müller already in 1835, this name takes priority.

Taiwan barbet Species of bird

The Taiwan barbet is a species of bird endemic to the country of Taiwan.

Black-eared barbet Species of bird

The black-eared barbet is a barbet in the family Megalaimidae native to Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo. It inhabits shrubland and forest up to an altitude of 1,200 m (3,900 ft). Because of its large range it is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List.

References

  1. Short, L. L.; Horne, J.F.M. (2004). "Family Capitonidae (barbets)". In del Hoyo J.; Elliott A.; Christie D. A. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 7. Jamacars to Woodpeckers . Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN   978-8487334375.
  2. Ericson, P. G. P. (2012). "Evolution of terrestrial birds in three continents: biogeography and parallel radiations". Journal of Biogeography. 39 (5): 813–824. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2699.2011.02650.x.
  3. den Tex, R.-J.; Leonard, J. A. (2013). "A molecular phylogeny of Asian barbets: Speciation and extinction in the tropics". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 68 (1): 1–13. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2013.03.004. PMID   23511217.
  4. David, N. (2008). "Megalaiminae: the correct subfamily-group name for the Asian barbets". Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 128 (1): 72.