India GO
Bird · Psilopogon haemacephalus
Coppersmith barbet
IUCN LC · Least concern
A small, stocky green bird with a crimson forehead and throat, far easier to hear than to see: its call is a monotonous tuk-tuk-tuk.
👀 How to recognise it
Trace the metallic knocking to a high bare branch and look for a green lump that puffs its throat with every note. It feeds almost entirely on small figs.
Where to see it
Bengaluru
Its tuk-tuk-tuk is one of the constant sounds of a Bengaluru afternoon, and the English name copies it: a coppersmith tapping a bowl. It nests in dead branches, which is one practical argument for leaving standing deadwood in city parks.
Lalbagh Botanical Garden · Cubbon Park · Bugle Rock Park (often)