Spring is here and days are getting warmer and along with the warmth comes calls puk..puk or kuk..kuk of our Coppersmith bird also known as Chota Vasanta or Tambet in many parts of India. It is also known as Tambat Bird, loosely translated to copper coloured bird.

Though these birds are endemic across the country, I noticed them when I started doing bird photography and since then I always look forward to seeing them every spring. Like Koels call, one cannot miss the call of the Coppersmith which got its name because of the sound it produces, which is a metronomic call that sounds like the low-pitched hammering of a coppersmith. The cadence of its kuk..kuk calls can range from 108 to 121 times per minute and can continue with as many as 204 notes. They are silent and do not call in winter.

The barbet makes this sound by inflating a patch of bare skin on both sides of its throat, with the beak remaining shut.

The beak itself is another robust feature of the bird, used to peck holes in trees, in which it then proceeds to nest. Its tail is comically abbreviated in comparison.

The Coppersmith Barbet is a short, stocky bird, with a leaf-green body that allows it to remain well-camouflaged in the green surroundings. A tiny bird with striking green plumage on its upper body, light grey to yellow underparts, a bright red streak on the forehead, soft yellow flecks around its eyes, and orange shanks and toes. Its crimson forehead and throat are so striking and they lend themselves to this bird's other name, the crimson-breasted barbet.

This South Asian bird of the Megalaimidae family is very common and owing to the growing steady rise in their population, the coppersmith barbet is a common sight to see in their habitat. Though the preferred habitat of these birds is open woodlands and forests, these birds can also be found in mountains and hilly areas as well as urban areas. There are nine known subspecies of the coppersmith barbet. 

These barbet birds are omnivorous in nature which means that they consume both plant and animal food. Coppersmith barbet birds feed on small insects and on fruits, nuts, and berries.

According to ornithologists, the coppersmith barbet bird is one of the oldest Asian barbets in terms of speciation and some species are kept in aviculture. They are cousins to the woodpecker family.

Not much is known about the exact lifespan of a crimson-breasted barbet. However, we can make a guess based on the other birds in the family Megalaimidae that tend to live for around 10-25 years.

Also Read: Graceful Pelicans return to India’s Bharatpur bird sanctuary after three years