Black-fronted Babbler - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

Black-fronted Barbet (Rhopocichla atriceps siccata) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

I photographed a flock of Black-fronted Babblers in Thalangama while they foraged through the undergrowth. I hadn't photographed them prior to this and was quite happy that I was able to move quite close to them and fire off a number of frames.

More photographs inside.

Black-fronted Barbet (Rhopocichla atriceps siccata) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

These Babblers are found in India and Sri Lanka. Three subspecies have been found in Sri Lanka, one each in the dry, wet and hill zones of the island. The species found in India have a complete black hood while the Sri Lankan species, pictured here, have a black mask.

 

Black-fronted Barbet (Rhopocichla atriceps siccata) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

They are weak in flight and tend to clamber up vegetation when startled. Their diet consists mainly of insects. Like most Babblers the Black-fronted Babblers are noisy birds and their presence is often given away by their calls. They are also known to join mixed species feeding flocks.

Black-fronted Barbet (Rhopocichla atriceps siccata) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

Breeding season is between May and July and a clutch usually consists of two eggs. Nests are often built low down on bushes and shrubs. The nest is said to look like some dry leaves that have got stuck in a bush with an opening on one side.

  Black-fronted Barbet (Rhopocichla atriceps siccata) - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

Photographing these birds wasn't hard as they were foraging when I found them and they weren't bothered by me being around. I had to keep looking around to find birds which had hopped out onto an exposed perch in order to get a clear shot. All photographs on this post were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

Ceylon Small Barbet - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

Ceylon Small Barbet - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

I have photographed the Ceylon Small Barbet (Megalaima rubricapilla), also called the Crimson-fronted Barbet, on several occasions. I have found them in the garden at home in Colombo and they are abundant at our place in Kandy. However, on these occasions the birds were some distance away.

More photographs inside.

 Ceylon Small Barbet - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

My luck changed on one of several visits to Thalangama in July. While I was walking along the bank of the tank I noticed a Black-rumped Flameback in one of the trees by the road. I stopped and photographed it for a few minutes and then noticed that a Golden Oriole had settled in the same tree. I was in the middle of photographing the Oriole when a Ceylon Small Barbet flew down onto one of the lower branches of the same tree.

Ceylon Small Barbet - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

I fired off about 15 or 20 frames and then stopped to watch the bird as I had not seen it in such close proximity before. My presence didn't seem to disturb it as it soon started moving along the branch pecking at the bark and foraging for insects.  It gradually worked its way up into the canopy and disappeared. Due to the colour of its plumage, it is not the easiest bird to find in the canopy.

Ceylon Small Barbet - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

These photographs were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.The light wasn't the best and I bumped up the ISO to compensate.

Crimson Fronted Barbet

A Crimson Fronted Barbet (also known as the Ceylon Small Barbet) photographed in Kandy, Sri Lanka

This small, endemic barbet, also known as the Ceylon Small Barbet, is common throughout the lowlands and mid hills of Sri Lanka. It is probably the only endemic seen in major cities. Some of the photographs in this post were actually taken in the middle of Colombo. Read on for more info and images of this species.

A Crimson Fronted Barbet (also known as the Ceylon Small Barbet) photographed in Kandy, Sri Lanka

Although this bird is fairly common, it is often overlooked because of its size and its colour. Its green  body makes it virtually impossible to spot in the canopy. It can only be mistaken with the Coppersmiths Barbet which doesn't have uniform green underparts or blue on its lower face. This bird generally lives in pairs but single birds are often seen. When I was photographing this bird in Kandy, I noticed that they were actually in a group of about 10 - 12 birds. This may have been because they were feeding on a fruiting tree.

A Crimson Fronted Barbet (also known as the Ceylon Small Barbet) photographed in Colombo, Sri Lanka

I was quite surprised to see this species at our place in Kandy as I had never seen them before. I was out looking for the Yellow Fronted Barbet when I noticed a number of them feeding on one of the fruit trees in the garden. In order to find them, I had to look out for the red forehead or wait for them to move. Unfortunately I was below them most of the time and therefore couldn't get too many decent shots.  As usual, I used the 100-400mm lens and the canon 7D to capture these images.

A Crimson Fronted Barbet (also known as the Ceylon Small Barbet) photographed in Kandy, Sri Lanka

Other images / info on Barbets

• Brown Headed Barbet
• Yellow Fronted Barbet
• Crimson Fronted Barbet