Exploring Barbets: Species in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand

Barbets, Order: Piciformes,

Family: Capitonidae

I was fascinated by the beautiful red crown of the coppersmith barbets when I first saw the bird picking on berries, at eye level 20 years ago, while crossing the overhead bridge at Bukit Timah Road in Singapore.

Thanks to Tou Jing Yi for the updated information on new species in Thailand and split between peninsular and Borneo, Thailand and Malaysia .

Barbets Around The World

Barbets are stout birds and appear heavy-headed, and neckless with strong bills. There are 81 species in the world. They inhabit much of sub-Saharan Africa, southern and south-eastern Asia, the East Indies, and north-western South America. Barbet is mainly fruits and berries eaters. Barbets nest in holes, excavated by most species in a tree trunk or along the underside of a rotten branch.

Exploring Barbets: Species in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand

There are 3 species of Barbets in Singapore

Coppersmith Barbet

Lineated Barbet

Red-crowned Barbet

Coppersmith barbet is the most common. They are the most photographed barbets in Singapore. It is interesting to watch them nesting when the parent birds bring food to the young.

Lineated Barbet

Lineated barbet is an introduced species that stays closer to the forested area like near the nature parks. Lineated barbets are bigger than Coppersmith but not as colorful as the Coppersmith barbet.

Red-crowned Barbet

Red-crowned barbet is the most sought-after barbet amongst the three in Singapore. My Thai birder’s friends told me that ” it was easier to see Red Crowned Barbet in Singapore than in south Thailand.”

Exploring Barbets: Species in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand . How many species of Barbets are in Peninsular Malaysia ?

A total of 11 species of barbets in Peninsular Malaysia. There are eight additional barbets in Peninsular Malaysia besides the three we have seen in Singapore:

1. Fire-tufted Barbet

2. Gold-whiskered Barbet

3. Red-throated Barbet

4, Golden-throated Barbet

5. Black-browed Barbet

6, Yellow-crowned Barbet

7. Black-eared Barbet

8. Sooty Barbet

Fire-tufted Barbet in Fraser’s Hill Malaysia

Fire-tufted Barbet in Camaron Highland Malaysia

The fire-tufted barbet is common in hill stations like Frasers’s Hill and Cameron Highland. Fire-tufted is large and green in color. Although it is distributed in Thailand, it is easier to see it in the hill stations in Peninsular Malaysia,

Red-throated Barbet found in Peninsular Malaysia

Red-throated Barbet found in fruiting tree eating berries

Golden-throated Barbet. Photographed in north Thailand.
Large green barbet with a broad black bandit’s mask, a pale gray face, and a black-and-yellow crown. Yellow-orange throat patch is small and sometimes missed when seen poorly.

Black-browed Barbet excavating a nest hole in Fraser’s Hill Malaysia

Black-eared Barbet is very common in lowland forest. Black front of head. Blue mid crown. Ear-covert & throat red. Taken in Hala Bala, border or Malaysia and Thailand

Sooty Barbet is uniquely brown without the green. Therefore it is easily identified. It has been split between the Bornean species called the Brown Barbet. The **sooty barbet** (***Caloramphus hayii***) is a species of bird found Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand , Sumatra and formerly in Singapore.

Exploring Barbets: Species in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. How many species of barbets are in Thailand ?

There are 6 additional species of barbets in Thailand

1. Great Barbet

2. Green-eared Barbet

3. Moustatche Barbet.

4. Blue-throated Barbet

5. Blue-eared Barbet

6. Turquoise-throated Barbet

Great Barbet in Kaeng Krachan National Park Thailand near the coffee house on top of the hill.

Green-eared Barbet can be seen at the camp ground in Kaeng Krachan at Bahn Krang, near the canteen, around 500 m above sea level.

Blue-throated Barbet in Kaeng Krachan at around 900 m above sea level around the cafe. All blue head sides and throat. Red crown with blue mid based. Red spot on breast side.

Exploring Barbets : Species in Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia, and Thailand.

How many species of barbets are in Singapore? Three species

How many species of barbets are in Peninsular Malaysia? Eleven species.

How many species of barbets are in Thailand? Sixteen species.

I hope this article gives you an opportunity to explore the beautiful barbets of Southeast Asia. It allows me to study the different species and their distributions.

Where to phtograph Barbets in Singapore ? Dairy Farm Park, Hamstead Park.

Where to photograph barbets in Malaysia ? Frasers Hill, Bukit Tinggi.

Where to photograph barbet in Thailand ? Hala Bala, Hat Yai, Kaeng Krachan.

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2 thoughts on “Exploring Barbets: Species in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand”

Add yours

Vincent Wong says:

January 12, 2025 at 5:13 pm

Excellent write up as usual. Very informative comparison between the three areas.

The accompanying pictures are clear and lovely. Keep them up.

1. JNA says:
  
  January 12, 2025 at 5:15 pm
  
  Thank you Vincent.