Conservation

Although Toucan Barbet has been reported to be abundant along its distribution (Cuervo et al. 2003), BirdLife International (2013) assesses its IUCN Red List status as Near Threatened (NT), and the Colombian population is included on Appendix 3 of CITES because its distribution is small and decreasing (BirdLife International 2013). Its global population is estimated to be around 73,000 individuals (Restrepo et al. 1987) but some researchers think this number may be overestimated since Toucan Barbet is very vocal so what can seem as a large population can be just a few birds making noise (Donegan and Dávaolos 1999).

Currently Toucan Barbet is protected in some natural reserves such as Rio Ñambi Natural Reserve and La Planada Nature Reserve in Colombia (BirdLife International 2013).

Populations of Toucan Barbet are considered to be in decline mainly due to human activity. In the first place, its limited distribution is rapidly decreasing: about 36% of its habitat has been lost. Some populations in western Colombia are very close to human settlements or are in developing areas and thus are highly threatened (Renjifo et al. 2002). For example, the populations that were found to the west of the city of Cali have been reported to be already extinct (Kattan  1994). Also, other factors such as logging, cattle farms, mining, and cocoa and palm plantations are affecting its habitat (Dinerstein 1995). In the case of logging, the situation is disturbing because the most desirable trees in the market, those of the family Lauraceae, are the ones in which the barbet excavates nest cavities. The other way in which human activity is negatively affecting the toucan barbet is caused by its illegal trade since it is sought as a cage bird because of the color patterns of its plumage. A large number of individuals are caught each year, especially in Colombia, because hunters can take advantage of the fact that the species has cooperative broods and so they catch many birds if they are able to localize a nest (Renjifo et al. 2002).