Golden-throated Barbet Psilopogon franklinii Scientific name definitions

The stunning Golden-throated Barbet (Psilopogon franklinii) is perhaps one of the few members of its family that is almost exclusively a montane species, occupying the mountain forests of the Eastern Himalayas (Nepal, Bhutan, India, and China) eastwards through mainland Southeast Asia and south to the montane regions of the Malay Peninsula. It tends to replace other similar-sized species such as the Blue-throated Barbet (Psilopogon asiaticus) at higher elevations. Two subspecies are recognized, with the nominate subspecies franklinii occupying the Himalayas east to northern Vietnam and southeastern China, and the southern subspecies ramsayi in Southeast Asia. The Necklaced Barbet (Psilopogon auricularis) of Vietnam was formerly also considered a subspecies of the Golden-throated Barbet, and it appears to differ primarily in certain plumage features. Across its range, the Golden-throated Barbet is a fairly common bird at the appropriate elevations, and its mellow, somewhat flutey call is frequently heard. However, relatively little is known of its biology, in part because of the remoteness of much of its range.