Bornean Barbet Psilopogon eximius Scientific name definitions

15–16 cm. Small, strong-billed, green barbet with complex head pattern. Male nominate race with black forehead to forecrown, red hindcrown, blue line from lores over eye; yellow patch under eye; blue ear-coverts often finely margined black; red at rear of malar; black throat, red on chest. Female duller, may have blue in forehead. Immature duller, reds muted or absent, throat blue and black with some white. Race <em>cyaneus</em> supposedly differs from nominate in having blue throat, blue in black of forehead and forecrown, reduced red.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Wet mountain forest, keeping mostly to canopy. Most specimens from altitudes of 900–1387 m, but occurs down to 370 m in places; generally below P. pulcherrimus, approximately at elevations of much larger P. monticola.

Resident, presumably sedentary.

Data very meagre; figs and other fruits known to be included in diet. Generally feeds in canopy.

Song  rapid series of single “tiuk” notes at 3–6 per second, for up to 40 seconds or more; also a fast trill call.

Possibly May–Oct or later. Singer puffs out throat and turns head side to side. Nest and eggs undescribed, and no information on other aspects of breeding.

Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Bornean Mountains EBA. Uncommon, and very poorly known, but occurs in more montane parts of Borneo than does either of that island’s two other endemic montane capitonids, P. monticola and P. pulcherrimus, e.g. Mount Kinabalu and Gunung Mulu National Parks. Requires further research and, in view of the little that is known about it, should probably be monitored.