Coppersmith Barbet courtship - mating

My house is at the corner lot, close to a small stream.
Banana and papaya trees are on the river bank, apart from Bamboo Grass (Thysanolaena maxima). Naturally, this attracts a lot of birds, such as Yellow-vented Bulbul, Mynas, Glossy Starling, Black-nape Oriole, etc.

One particular bird that attracted my attention this week is Coppersmith Barbet. For two weeks I notice them to be more active with that familiar "tut-tut-tut" call. They also carry fruits/berries in their beak. So, it is the courtship mating time now. I posted here a few frames of photos that I managed to shoot. All of them only record shot quality.





The male fly in, and the female waits below.









Just to record the natural process...
Chronology of events.



18:22:34







The kiss.




18:22:43












18:22:53







Male CopperSmith Barbet, with fruits ready at his beak - as a 'gift' to his girlfriend.











hi!, are you ready?












male landed near the female to pass the fruit.




13:47:43







Female with the 'gift' in her beak.





13:47:43






The process is about to begin...





13:47:47






The male's sperm, produced in the testes, passes to the cloaca where it is stored until copulation (act of sex). The female also has a cloaca that leads from the ovaries. The female bird unfans her tail and moves it to one side while the male climbs onto her back or gets close to her. Their cloacas are pressed together and the sperm moves from the male to the female

13:47:48



For a very good photo of mating barbets, click here - by © Tan Chin Tong




13:47:49







To ensure the continuation of species.




13:47:50







This act is called a "cloacal kiss".





13:47:51






Sperm can be transferred from the male cloaca to the female in the blink of an eye - less than a second




13:47:52











13:47:52







Finished.




13:47:54







male resting, after the act.




13:47:55







Again!




13:48:03












13:48:03







Finished.





13:48:04






Here another couple

Fly in.


07:40:51












07:40:52












07:40:53













07:40:54












07:40:54







Finished, fly out.




07:40:56







Again!, with another angle...
13:48:12











13:48:14+08:00
CopperSmith Barbet, more info.

Barbet mating from the net, here, by DAISY O’NEILL of Penang.

CopperSmith nesting by Tang Hung Bun here,

and CopperSmith chick manual feeding (Input by Chiu Sein Chiong; images by Ooi Beng Yean and Phang Chee Mun) here.

Fire-Tufted Barbet - Mission Accomplished

There was no rain at Raub for the past two days, I searched at Malaysia Meteorological Department website looking for Fraser's Hill weather. The Sunday was favorable weather (Morning:Cloudy, Afternoon & night:Rain), so I made my 4th trip up there targeting the Fire-Tufted species.

I waited at the bird feeder of Shahzan Hotel as usual, but that feeder seem to be empty (no food or fruit). No bird came in, not even the 'Sky Rat'. I give up after forty-five minutes.
I thought that was another fruitless trip, until I made a hike at Mager Trail.

Saw this at Mager Trail, very far from about 20 meters at a fruiting tree @ 8.20am

Fire-tufted Barbet (Psilopogon pyrolophus)

It was nearly 11 am when I was about to walk back to my car when I hit a jackpot.
I saw one lonely bird at a very low perched, just above my head - at Valley Road, just at the end of Hemmant Trail.

It stayed there oblivious to my presence and flash light.

It said goodbye to me when my CF card nearly full to the brim. Thank you 'Takur Api' see you again!
My bird pictures quality no way near Con Foley, but I went home very happy for successful Mission Fire-Tufted.

Have a look for more bird pictures at the Bird Photography Weekly @ Birdfreak.

Gold-whiskered Barbet eating a wire

This bird species is one of my favorite bird and I had 26 entries about it in this blog. This Barbet was just curious about the wire or try to catch something there.

Gold-whiskered Barbet (Megalaima chrysopogon)

Sub-adult Barbet

Why I called this specimen Sub-adult?.
I have seen so many of this barbet at my backyard, so somehow I know this is not an adult. ;)
Seriously, this bird colour or plumage is much duller that the one at my header up there.
(the above header picture was taken exactly a year ago. (Digitization Date/Time = 2008:09:03 18:24:00)

Gold-whiskered Barbet (Megalaima chrysopogon)

Friday Birds - Banana feast

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Gold-whiskered Barbet (Megalaima chrysopogon)

Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis)

Burung di Pokok Petai

I have been looking for birds at this Petai tree (Parkia speciosa) for a week. Got this Oriental Honey-buzzard, Chinese Heron, Gold-whiskered Barbet, and Coppersmith Barbet from that tree.
It is nearer to my house, so it gives better quality pics.















Gold-whiskered Barbet











Coppersmith Barbet