BARBETS   -   CAPITONIDAE

Scarlet-crowned Barbet Capito aurovirens Sacha Lodge, Orellana province, Ecuador. Male. A barbet of secondary forest and lighter woodland. (D3)

Orange-fronted Barbet Capito squamatus Pacto-Guayllabillas road, Pichincha province, Ecuador Male. This handsome species is nearly endemic to western Ecuador, but it it does just get into southeastern Colombia. (S5)

White-mantled Barbet Capito hypoleucus RNA Arrierito Antioqueño, Anorí, Antioquia department, Colombia. Male. This barbet is endemic to a fairly small area of northern Colombia. Our sighting was the first record for the reserve. (D3)

White-mantled Barbet Capito hypoleucus RNA Arrierito Antioqueño, Anorí, Antioquia department, Colombia. Male. Another shot of the same bird as in the previous photo. (D3)

Five-colored Barbet Capito quinticolor Humedal de Yalare, Esmeraldas province, Ecuador. Male. A Chocó endemic. In Ecuador, it only occurs in the far northwest near the border with Colombia. It is still surprisingly common in very disturbed forest south of San Lorenzo. (D3)

Gilded Barbet Capito auratus punctatus Sacha Lodge, Orellana province, Ecuador. A pair, the female is on the right, and the male is on the left singing. This is a canopy species, and I took this shot from the canopy tower, though bright sunlight did not make for a good photo. (D2)

Red-headed Barbet Eubucco bourcierii aequatorialis Tandayapa Bird Lodge, Pichincha province, Ecuador. Male. The aequatorialis race is almost endemic to western Ecuador, with males sporting more extensive red and brighter yellow underparts than other races. (D3)

Toucan Barbet Semnornis ramphastinus ramphastinus Refugio Paz de las Aves, Pichincha province, Ecuador. I put these two side by side on purpose. They are the only members of  the genus Semnornis, and some ornithologists consider them to be in a totally different family from the other barbets, the Semnorithidae. (D3)		Prong-billed Barbet Semnornis franzii La Cinchona, Heredia provinca, Costa Rica. It's amazing how these two sister species evolved so differently. Why would one evolve such bright and gaudy colors, and the other one turn out so much plainer? Their voices are quite similar, however. (D3)

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