The spot-crowned barbet is a colorful bird found in lowland forests of Panama and western Colombia. Males have black and white speckled crowns, white throats, yellow-to-orange breasts, and black-spotted bellies, while females are similar but have black throats and breasts. They eat fruit and arthropods and are important seed dispersers in their habitat.
Appearance
Size: 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 inches) long.
Male: Mostly black above with a white-spotted crown, white throat, and a yellow to orange breast.
Female: Similar to the male but has a black throat and upper breast.
Other features: Both sexes have black spots on the lower breast and belly and a yellow to orange splash on the flanks.
Habitat and behavior
Habitat: They live in the canopy of lowland subtropical or tropical moist forests and in degraded former forests.
Location: Found in Colombia and Panama.
Social structure: Usually seen in pairs or small groups.
Diet and role in ecosystem
Diet: Primarily eat fruit and arthropods like insects, scorpions, and centipedes.
Seed dispersal: Considered important seed dispersers in tropical forests.
Regurgitation: Regurgitate indigestible parts of their food, such as seed pits.
