The lemon-throated barbet (Eubucco richardsoni) is a species of bird in the New World barbet family Capitonidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Taxonomy and systematics
The lemon-throated barbet as recognized by the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (AOS), the International Ornithological Committee (IOC), and the Clements taxonomy has four subspecies: the nominate Eubucco richardsoni richardsoni, E. r. nigriceps, E. r. aurantiicollis, and E. r. purusianus. Clements groups richardsoni and nigriceps as "lemon-throated" and the other two as "flame-throated" within the species. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Birds of the World treats the two groups separately within its account of the lemon-throated barbet sensu lato. At various times, including as recently as 2014, aurantiicollis has been treated as a separate species called flame-throated barbet.
Description
The "lemon-throated" barbet is approximately 15.5 cm (6.1 in) long and weighs 24.5 to 34 g (0.86 to 1.20 oz). The male of the nominate subspecies has a red crown, gray-blue nape, and green upperparts. Its throat is yellow, the breast orange-red, and the belly and flanks greenish with dark streaks. The female is duller, with a gray-green crown, nape, and upperparts. Its throat is bluish, the breast orange-gold, and the underparts bluish yellow with dark streaks. The male E. r. nigriceps has a black crown and both sexes have blue-green upperparts.
The "flame-throated" barbet is 14.5 to 15.5 cm (5.7 to 6.1 in) long and weighs 26 to 42 g (0.92 to 1.48 oz), heavier than the two "lemon-throated" subspecies. E. r. aurantiicollis differs from the nominate by having a yellow nape, upperparts that are a yellower green, a more orange throat, and a redder breast. The female is similar to the nominate but less yellow in the throat and breast. The E. r. purusianus male is paler than the nominate and more pinkish on the breast. The...