Coppersmith Barbet: Megalaima haemacephala: This delightful little creature is a bird with crimson forehead and neck.The name barbet refers to the barbs fringing its heavy bill. The Coppersmith is brightly coloured, with a yellow face bordered with black and with black eye stripes. Its bill is stout and dark. The upper parts are grass green and underneath yellowish-green,streaked with darker green.

Youngsters are duller and without the red patches. The sexes are alike.

A little larger than a sparrow, it is a relatively small barbet at 17 cm. It is plump , with a short neck and large head. The short, tail is distinctively triangular in flight. Usually living solitary, pairs, or small groups, larger flocks occasionally gather on abundantly fruiting Ficus trees. Their flight is straight, with rapid beats.

The call is a loud rather metallic tonk, tonk, tonk ,sounding like a copper sheet being beaten, hence its its name. The beak remains shut during each call – a patch of bare skin on both sides of the throat inflates and collapses with each tonk , with a lot of body and tail shaking. Not so vocal in the cold, can be heard regular in the hotter times.

The Coppersmith prefers to feed on Banyan, Peepul, and other wild figs, various berries, and the occasional insect.

Nest: a tree hole in a dead or decaying softwood branch, about 40cm deep ending in a slightly widened chamber. Lays 2-4 eggs which are white longish oval shape, laid on bare wood. Both sexes look after the young.

This bird was seen on the canal road in Mae Rim & 2 others were heard nearby.