Coppersmith
It's a summer morning, May, 6:30 am, and I'm standing at my seventh floor balcony watching the large Peepal tree in front of our apartment and its leisurely spread of branches. There's a welcome silence. The coat of leaves on the Peepal is thin and one can see far into its branches. It's still shedding the last year's coat and waiting to don a new one.
Eventually, I trace a slight movement in its branches to a solitary Coppersmith. Then I spot another. There's a pair.
The Coppersmith is a beautiful green bird, a barbet, and sports a colourful red bandana on its forehead. I’ll leave the rest of the description of its Robin Hood like attire to the photo I've attached. It's slightly larger than a sparrow and in these parts of South Mumbai it’s not very uncommon to spot one in the foliage.
| Coppersmith in the Peepal Tree |
It's shy of people and in over twenty years of watching the bird I've hardly ever seen it on the ground. It keeps to the foliage of trees where its green body blends into the leaves and keeps it camouflaged and out of sight.
I also say it’s shy of humans as we keep a sparrow feeder perched outside our window. And though it comes over to the edge of the Peepal tree and seems slightly inquisitive when I replenish the feeder, I've never seen it fly over to investigate. Sparrows on the other hand feel quite comfortable in flying over for a snack from time to time.
I understand the bird’s diet is primarily berries. It would be nice to know if anyone has been able to persuade a Coppersmith to visit their bird-feeder or bird-house.
From amongst the trees in our compound the Peepal seems to be a preferred haunt. The Banyan, Gulmohar and Yellow Flame are its other trees it visits.
The call of the Coppersmith is a gentle 'tuk-tuk-tuk'. A knowledgeable BNHS birder had explained to me the first time I was introduced to the bird that 'The bird gets its name after its call which can be likened to the metallic notes of a hammer tapping away at a distant Coppersmith's workshop'. Indeed, it was easy to bring up that image listening to its call. I understand it’s a bit of a ventriloquist and trying to trace its call to the bird may be quite futile.
This winter, on Shri Raman Maharshi's birthday, I'd seen a flock of about ten Coppersmiths on the Peepal early morning, all vibrant with active. It was such a delightful sight. The numbers seen vary from day to day, and for most of this summer its leveled at about two at a time.
| Spot a Pair |
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Earlier this summer I was fortunate to spot a young one which one can tell from its smaller size and also the absence of the red bandana on its head. The red cap appears when the bird matures. This February, on a visit to Vadodara I saw its nest for the very first time in a small hollow in a Yellow Flame Tree. I've read the barbet's uses its stout beak to chisel out a nest. |
Nest |
It has been a joy to watch the Coppersmith over the years on the Peepal tree, always been a moment I enjoy and look forward to.
For more information on the Coppersmith click this link:
https://www.answers.com/topic/coppersmith-barbet
Author: Ruchir Bansal
Updated: May 9, 2010