Fun Lineated Barbet Facts For Kids

The lineated barbet (Psilopogon lineatus) is a non-migratory bird species from Southeast Asia. These birds are found in places such as India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and the Malay Peninsula, and interestingly, their breeding seasons differ with the region that they inhabit.

The distribution and density of the population in the south-eastern regions of Asia has earned this species a conservation status of Least Concern.

This bird is characterized by its green body, white underparts, and streaked feathers. The yellow circles around the eyes also sets this bird apart. These birds are known to be quite territorial of the tree holes that they inhabit and can only be found in mated pairs,

The lineated barbet is a non-migratory species and can most frequently be spotted along the southern foothills of the Himalaya as they munch on some fresh fruits,

For more relatable content, check out these ani bird facts and Eastern kingbird facts for kids.

Lineated Barbet Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a lineated barbet?

The lineated barbet (Psilopogon lineatus or Megalaima lineata) is a bird that is fairly common across Southeast Asia.

What class of animal does a lineated barbet belong to?

The class that these birds are associated with in scientific terms is Aves, however, the popular term for this class is birds.

How many lineated barbets are there in the world?

There are no conclusive studies that tell us the range of the population size of this species, however, their conservation status suggests that their numbers are fairly stable and that these birds are not going to face extinction anytime soon.

Where does a lineated barbet live?

Lineated barbets are found in forests and woodlands along the foothills of the southern Himalayas. These birds live inside tree trunks and they choose to live in places where they have plenty of tree canopies to perch on, and plenty of fruits to satisfy their diet.

What is a lineated barbet's habitat?

The lineated barbet range map extends throughout the southeastern regions of Asia. This bird is found in places in India such as West Bengal and Delhi. The lineated barbet habitat range also extends to places such as Bhutan, the Malay Peninsula, Java, Bali, and Bangladesh. These birds are also found along the southern foothills of the Himalayan ranges.

Who do lineated barbets live with?

One of the lesser known facts about lineated barbets (Megalaima lineata) is that they are a very aggressive and territorial species. These birds prefer to live in mated pairs and are very protective of their nesting tree trunk. They are hardly ever found in groups because of their behavior patterns.

How long does a lineated barbet live?

The average lifespan of a lineated barbet (Psilopogon lineatus or Megalaima lineta) is not known. Although, the lifespan of a crested barbet, which is a related species but not of the same genus, is around 8-10 years.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season for these birds (Megalaima lineata) changes in different parts of the world. In India, the breeding season is from January to July. In the Malay Peninsula, the breeding season is from September to May, and in places such as Java and Bali, the breeding season extends from January to September.

The female lineated barbet (Psilopogon lineatus or Megalaima lineata) lays about two to four eggs inside the tree trunk that both parents hollow out for inhabitation together.

Both the lineated barbet male and lineated barbet female birds also take up equal responsibilities when it comes to incubation as well. The young birds hatch after 14 days and are fed by their parent birds until they are ready to fledge.

Once the baby birds have grown, they leave their parents' nest and go on to live in a tree in close proximity.

What is their conservation status?

According to the IUCN Red Lists that were released in 2004, 2012 and 2016, the conservation status of the lineated barbet (Psilopogon lineatus or Megalaima lineata) is Least Concern. This means that this bird species is not facing any threats of extinction at the moment and that their habitat is not facing irreversible degradation.

Lineated Barbet Fun Facts

What do lineated Barbets look like?

The lineated barbet appearance is rather beautiful with the contrasting color palette and large eyes. The bird is mostly green in color and has white underparts.

The underparts are heavily streaked which paints quite the picture. There are yellow colored circles around the eyes of this bird which are quite contrasting with the otherwise green colored body. The beak is cream or fleshy colored and the claws are of a pinkish-orange color, which allows this bird to catch anybody's attention.

One of the fun facts about this bird is that spotting one of them in their areas of distribution is quite difficult since they camouflage so well with tree canopies! Also, these birds have the name lineated barbets due to the dark stripes on their bodies.

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How cute are they?

There is hardly a doubt that lineated barbet (Psilopogon lineatus) birds from the Megalaimidae family (genus Megalaima, order Piciformes) are extremely cute. While there might be some people that find the features and colors to be quite stark, we honestly think that these birds are beautiful in their own way.

How do they communicate?

The lineated barbet call sounds somewhat like a 'poo-tok' to our ears. The next time you are in the regions that see most of the distribution of the lineated barbet (Psilopogon lineatus) population and hear such a sound, you will definitely know which bird you are close to.

How big is a lineated barbet?

The average length of the lineated barbet (Psilopogon lineatus) is around 9.8-11.8 in (25-30 cm). The lineated barbet wingspan is also quite large which allows them to be quick flyers.

These birds are roughly  the same size as an average blue jay and a purple finch is about half its size.

How fast can a lineated barbet fly?

We do not know the average lineated barbet flight speed, however, they are known to be fairly fast. A fun fact about this bird species is that you will never observe a lineated barbet migrate.

How much does a lineated barbet weigh?

The average weight of a lineated barbet (Psilopogon lineatus) is around 0.2-0.4 lb (110-200 g). These birds weigh at least 40 times as a rufous hummingbird and a bateleur eagle weighs at least 10 times more than our friendly green birds from Asia.

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no distinct names for male and female lineated barbets, much like there is hardly any difference in their physical attributes. We can call them a male lineated barbet and a female lineated barbet. Like other bird species, we can use the terms cock and hen.

What would you call a baby lineated barbet?

A young lineated barbet is called a nestling or chick, just like other bird species in the class Aves.

What do they eat?

The lineated barbet diet consists mainly of the fruits that they can find freely in their areas of distribution or near their nesting tree holes. However, this bird species also frequently feeds on small insects.

Are they dangerous?

We can't say if these these birds are dangerous to humans, we do know that this species is quite territorial and aggressive. It is best to spot one of these birds from a distance.

Would they make a good pet?

It is unlikely that these birds would make a good pet. Although the IUCN Red List does not term the lineated barbet endangered, pet trading does pose a threat to this species and its well-being.

Did you know...

It is likely that if you do happen to see or spot this species, you will see the lineated barbet flying since their plumage offers such great camouflage.

The breeding season for this bird species of the Piciformes order extends from September to May in the Malay Peninsula.

The lineated barbet sound is somewhat like a 'poo-tok'.

Are lineated barbets endangered?

The IUCN Red List says that the conservation status of these birds is of Least Concern, although, the pet trade does pose a threat to them.

What role do lineated barbets play in the ecosystem?

The population of lineated barbets acts a clear indication of whether or not their ecosystem of choice is in habitable conditions. Any unusual behavior on the part of this bird species is a sign of unwanted changes.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our hummingbird facts and seaside sparrow facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable lineated barbet coloring pages.