Prong-billed Barbet
Semnornis frantzii
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
- FamilySemnornithidae (Toucan-Barbets)
- GenusSemnornis (Toucan-Barbets)
- SpeciesSemnornis frantzii (Prong-billed Barbet)
About the Prong-billed Barbet
The prong-billed barbet (Semnornis frantzii) is a distinctive, relatively large-billed bird native to humid highland forest of Costa Rica and western Panama. The prong-billed barbet was traditionally placed in family Capitonidae sensu lato with both Neotropic and Old World barbets. However, morphological, hybridization, and DNA studies have confirmed that this arrangement is paraphyletic; New World barbets are more closely related to toucans than they are to Old World barbets. Therefore New World (Capitonidae sensu stricto), African (Lybiidae), and Asian (Megalaimidae) barbets were each accorded their own families. The prong-billed barbet and the toucan barbet (Semnornis ramphastinus) were placed in the new family Semnornithidae.
The prong-billed barbet is monotypic. Its specific epithet commemorates the German naturalist Alexander von Frantzius. The prong-billed barbet is 17 to 18.5 cm (6.7 to 7.3 in) long and weighs about 60 to 70 g (2.1 to 2.5 oz). Its bill is silvery gray to bluish with a dark tip; a notch on the tip of the mandible provides its English name. The maxilla has a hooked tip and a notch on the side. Adults have a dull... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Prong-billed Barbet in Poás Volcano National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Poás Volcano National Park
Hairy Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus villosus
Acorn Woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorus
Golden-olive Woodpecker
Colaptes rubiginosus
Keel-billed Toucan
Ramphastos sulfuratus
Black-mandibled Toucan
Ramphastos ambiguus
Northern Emerald-Toucanet
Aulacorhynchus prasinus
Red-headed Barbet
Eubucco bourcierii
Hoffmann's Woodpecker
Melanerpes hoffmannii
Smoky-brown Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus fumigatus
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Melanerpes pucherani
Lineated Woodpecker
Dryocopus lineatus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Volcán Barú National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 2 | Poás Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Irazú Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 9 | Los Quetzales National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Prong-billed Barbet in Poás Volcano National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Prong-billed Barbet sighting in Poás Volcano National Park, based on 63 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Prong-billed Barbet in Poás Volcano National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Prong-billed Barbet in Poás Volcano National Park in our monthly data.