Lineated Barbet Megalaima lineatus recently changed to a different genus Psilopogon lineatus was recorded infrequently on this tour being seen on two days and heard on a further two days. We were birding soon after dawn in a car park not far from the entrance to the Khao Yai National Park. This bird was perched at some distance in poor early morning light.
It is a large Barbet with a yellowish bill, a bare patch around the eye, with prominent streaking on the head and under parts and these features can be seen in the photo. At the limestone cliffs later in the day, we heard a Lineated Barbet calling with a loud and melancholy poo-poh sound repeated approximately once per second.
Its preferred habitat is open deciduous forest, well-wooded gardens, and roadsides with fig or other fruiting trees. It ranges from the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, along the southern foothills of the Himalayas and also in parts of Bangladesh and West Bengal, then into much of south east Asian including peninsular Malaysia.
References: Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp (1998) Birds of the Indian Subcontinent p.393, published by Helm; BirdLife
Country: Thailand
Location: Early morning near Khao Yai National Park
Family: Asian Barbets (Megalaimidae)
Species: Lineated Barbet (Megalaima lineata)
Date taken: 09/12/2016