count the chirpy little birds !!

 

You may have seen them on parks or on trees (fig trees!) nearer you – chirpy – their robust tuk-tuk-tuk sound could be heard from quite a distance too.  Small, green and beautifully marked, these birds  are often heard before they are even  seen. Their persistent metallic tuk-tuk-tuk call, reminiscent of a coppersmith hammering copper, is a familiar sound in our neighbourhoods. These little birds are also skilled excavators, carving nesting cavities in tree branches and feeding largely on fruits and berries.

                               Coppersmith Barbets (Psilopogon haemacephalus), a familiar but fascinating bird of Indian cities. The bright red forehead and throat, yellow facial markings, green plumage and streaked underside are characteristic of the species.    

Its call resembles a metalworker repeatedly hammering copper: tuk… tuk… tuk… The fascinating part is that it can produce this repetitive sound with its beak closed, inflating and deflating the throat area as it calls. At roughly 15–17 cm long, it is a small, compact bird. Its green plumage blends into leafy surroundings, so you may hear its unmistakable call long before you spot the bird itself.

The birds' red foreheads and throat patches are the key identification marks. In this image taken a few years ago, when leaves were falling  - the bare branches provide an excellent natural setting.

In Tamil, the Coppersmith Barbet is called செம்மார்புக் குக்குறுவான் (Semmārpuk Kukkuruvaan). Another name used in bird lists is கழுத்தறுப்பான். [sounds strange !!]

செம்மார்புக் குக்குறுவான் (Coppersmith Barbet) — செந்நிறத் தலையும் மார்பும் கொண்ட அழகிய சிறு பறவை. The Tamil name கழுத்தறுப்பான் is better understood as a folk or humorous name, not the standard ornithological Tamil name for the coppersmith barbet. Literally, it means “one who cuts the throat”; idiomatically, கழுத்தறு can also mean to vex or irritate someone intensely.  The bird  makes a loud, monotonous, metallic “tuk… tuk… tuk” call, often repeated for long periods resembling  a coppersmith hammering copper sheet

Interesting !

Regards – S Sampathkumar

17.10.2026