Coppersmith Barbet
COPPERSMITH BARBET
Megalaima haemacephala
Megalaimidae Family
L 146 mm (5 1/4")
resident, common
Bird #75- November 2008
This was one of our most memorable "first sightings"! We saw it right on our street! Tonji and I heard call from inside the house and decided to follow it. We wanted to know which bird was making that call that we had been hearing before. The Kennedy guide describes the call as "poke poke poke". It also sounds like "hoop hoop hoop" -- making us think of a rare hoopoe! We were just as delighted to see this colorful and un-shy bird! It was very busy scraping away the bark of the tree with its beak. Later on, we saw a small group in the golf course and a nesting pair in UP. This is one of our favorite birds.
According to the Kennedy guide, this bird is found in India to southwester China, Southeast Asia to Sumatra, Java, Bali and the Philippines. There are two groups composed of 6 endemic races found in the Philippines. One group has a yellow face and throat, the other group has a red face and throat.
Yellow group:
haemacephala - Luzon and Mindoro
mindanensis - Manuk Manka, Mindanao
celestinoi - Bilitan, Catanduanes, Leyte, and Samar
Red group:
intermedia - Calagna-an, Carabao, Guimaras, Negros, Panay, Pan de Azucar, Semirara
cebuensis - Cebu
homochroa - Masbate, Romblon, Tablas
Read MoreMegalaima haemacephala
Megalaimidae Family
L 146 mm (5 1/4")
resident, common
Bird #75- November 2008
This was one of our most memorable "first sightings"! We saw it right on our street! Tonji and I heard call from inside the house and decided to follow it. We wanted to know which bird was making that call that we had been hearing before. The Kennedy guide describes the call as "poke poke poke". It also sounds like "hoop hoop hoop" -- making us think of a rare hoopoe! We were just as delighted to see this colorful and un-shy bird! It was very busy scraping away the bark of the tree with its beak. Later on, we saw a small group in the golf course and a nesting pair in UP. This is one of our favorite birds.
According to the Kennedy guide, this bird is found in India to southwester China, Southeast Asia to Sumatra, Java, Bali and the Philippines. There are two groups composed of 6 endemic races found in the Philippines. One group has a yellow face and throat, the other group has a red face and throat.
Yellow group:
haemacephala - Luzon and Mindoro
mindanensis - Manuk Manka, Mindanao
celestinoi - Bilitan, Catanduanes, Leyte, and Samar
Red group:
intermedia - Calagna-an, Carabao, Guimaras, Negros, Panay, Pan de Azucar, Semirara
cebuensis - Cebu
homochroa - Masbate, Romblon, Tablas
