In the Asian barbet family, there are 34 barbet species in total that are native to the Indomalayan realm. As for Cambodia, we have just 4 species of this beautiful bird. Generally, barbets are gorgeous birds with colorful plumage and attractive appearance. We are going to focus on 4 main barbet species in Cambodia today. Perhaps all of them are new to you as they are to me.
Blue-Eared Barbet (ប៉ោលតោកថ្ងាសខ្មៅ)
A blue-eared barbet has green plumage with crimson spots on its cheeks while the ear-coverts and throat are verditer-blue. This plump bird is only around 16 to 17 meters long, and it has a short neck and tail along with a large head. They have dark bills, and they got their name from the bristles that fringe their heavy bills. Blue-eared barbets inhabit coniferous forests, evergreen forests, mixed woodland, and shrublands where they nest in a tree hole.
Where they live, they primarily feed on fruits as well as insects such as ants, beetles, cicadas, crickets, dragonflies, locusts, mantids, and moths. They normally forage in groups of up to 100 at fruiting trees while some other times forage with pigeons and other species.
Green-Eared Barbet (ប៉ោលតោកត្រចៀកបៃតង)
Slightly bigger than the blue-eared barbet, the green-eared barbet is between 24.5 to 27 centimeters in length. The appearance is just the same but the colors are different as they have white-streaked brown head and breast. And just like the name suggests, green-eared barbets have green ear coverts which is the part where you can differentiate between species. The green-eared barbets inhabit broadleaf evergreen, mixed woodlands, and open woodlands in Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. These birds primarily feed on fruits but also other insects just like their blue-eared cousins.
Lineated Barbet (ប៉ោលតោកក្បាលព្រលែត)
The information about this barbet species is very limited, but I manage to get just enough to describe them. A lineated barbet is luminous green in color with a streaked gray-brown head and a flesh-pink bill. The unique thing about this bird is the bare patch of orange skin around its eyes that create a monocled appearance. While some barbet species are shy, this one is rather on the opposite side. Lineated barbets perch up on exposed branches in their habitats such as deciduous forests and edge areas. It is also common to see them in gardens and parks, hooting and singing their territorial song.
Red-Vented Barbet (ប៉ោលតោកគូថក្រហម)
Native to only Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, red-vented barbets inhabit subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. Depending on where they live, this barbet species feed on a wide variety of meals such as flowers, fruits, invertebrates, and vertebrates. It has green to bronze plumage and a brown head with grayish patches on the throat and sides. This head coloration is absolutely different from the bright facial patterns of most other barbet species out there. The recognizable part is definitely the blue line above its eyes. So where does it get its name from? The red-vented barbet got its name from the red mark on its nose and the red patch below its tail.
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