White-cheeked barbets make me truly happy. But first, let us get the visuals right.
White-cheeked barbets have a bright green back. Their beaks are thick, sharp, and long, almost like the kingfisher family. Their beaks are orange mixed with pink. A brown head and a brownish chest complete the ensemble. You can spot the white cheek that gives the bird its name if you have good eyes.
At first glance, all the colors seem shoddily pieced together, as if the bird just rolled out of its bed and you caught it before its morning cup of coffee.
So that’s how they look. There are enough reasons to love the bird purely for its ruffled appearance, but I love it for its geographic distribution.
The white-cheeked barbet is a local flier. And by that, I mean its distribution is almost entirely within my reach. Moreover, it is an endemic species. In other words, just by sitting on my balcony and catching sight of the bird, I can claim that I am watching a rare bird. Cheap thrill but an excellent reminder to appreciate my locus in the world.
How can I justify yearning for expensive travels when I cannot appreciate global rarities that are on offer right in my backyard? This is why the white-cheeked barbet is my most precious reminder of gratitude.
The white-cheeked barbet is also a fantastic camouflage artiste. They sit in tall, dense trees and can blend into the leaves effortlessly. Keep scanning the tree from which you can hear their characteristic “kutroo kutroo“; they magically materialize on a bough. Their throaty call is unmistakable and long-carrying and gives them their names in many languages.
Chinna Kutturuvan in Malayalam. Chinna Kukkuruvan in tamil. Megalaimidae (mega – big, laimos – throat) in Greek. All in some form referencing the throaty call of the small bird.
The calls are also how I identify the bird. The sound imprints itself into my mind and the entire emotion of hearing it. During summers, at least two barbets come home regularly to bathe in my garden’s fresh, cool water. Yellappa, our gardener, fills the bird bath with water daily, and the birds fully use it.
Just by being themselves and content in their territory, they have embraced and attained an exclusive identity they comfortably wear daily. They don’t need fancy cars, business-class travel, or a fast life. Dense trees, distant cousins in the ghats, some fruits, and insects are all it takes to keep this barbet minding its own happy business in the colorful avian world. “Least Concern” declares the IUCN.
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