Blue-throated Barbet (Megalaima asiatica)
Order: PICIFORMES
Family: MEGALAIMIDAE Barbets
Scientific name: Megalaima asiatica
English name: Blue-throated Barbet
Characteristic: "Size 20 cm. A small, eye-catching, brightly-coloured bird. A male has a different colour plumage from a female; it has scarlet patches in black, while a female bright yellow patches in black. Both have long slender tails."
Distribution: "India, the Andamans, China, Hainan, the Greater Sundas, the Philippines and SE Asia."
Habitat: "Dry evergreen forest, dipterocarp forest and the secondary growth."
Habit: "Frequently seen either as a solitary bird or in pairs in high canopy. Sometimes descending to forage in the undergrowth for insects, caterpillars and ripe berries. Breeding time between April-June, when it lays 2-3 eggs in a cup-shaped nest."
Status: A common resident bird.
