Yellow-eared Barbet Psilopogon australis Scientific name definitions

16–17 cm; 26–39 g. Small, green, stout-billed barbet with blue crown and throat, black band between throat and breast. Both sexes have blue forehead and crown, yellow ear-coverts and cheeks framed by black eyestripe and moustachial line, black lores; blue throat with black band below, and yellow-gold across breast. Immature duller, head mainly green, lacking pattern and bright colours, bill and orbital skin paler. Within range, can only be confused with <em>P. armillaris</em> , but present species identified by all-blue crown (lacking orange forehead and forecrown), blue throat, black band at rear of throat and yellow mark below eye.

Java and Bali.

Primary forest and edges in lowlands and foothills; mainly evergreen forest, but may move into regrowing and patchy forest, and visit plantations, gardens, bamboo and deciduous forest. Recorded only to c. 915 m on Bali, but to to 2000 m on Java.

Resident; generally territorial and sedentary, but some post-breeding movements occur to fruiting sources, including into habitats not used for breeding.

Nothing known, although presumably similar to P. cyanotis and P. duvaucelii.

Several, variable “songs”  , e.g. a series of double “ta-trrrt” to “tu-tuuk” notes at 96–132 per minute, at times for minutes on end, sometimes ending in pigeon-like “ooooooo”, or with single notes interspersed, or as full, single-noted song at 180 notes per minute; also so-called “police-whistle” song, a trilling but burred “ttirrr,ttirrr,-”; grating notes in encounters, irregular series of “teeow” notes, chittering or chattery notes resembling begging calls, and fast trills and series of piping notes.

Season Feb–Oct on Java. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Often one of the commonest of barbets. Appears to be adaptable.