Barbets (Capitonidae)

Bornean Barbet (Megalaima eximia) - HBW 7, p. 209

French: Barbu à gorge noire German: Schwarzkehl-Bartvogel Spanish: Barbudo Eximio
Other common names: Black-chinned/Black-throated(!)/Crimson-crowned Barbet

Taxonomy: Mesobucco eximius Sharpe, 1892, Mount Dulit, Borneo.
Closely related to M. australis, the two comprising the so-called “Mesobucco group”. Racial separation of Mt Kinabalu population uncertain, based principally on blue throat colour, but this may be indicative of subadult, and more or less matched by probable subadult specimens from elsewhere in species’ range, where also some with mostly blue or mixed throat colour; also, individuals have been seen on Mt Kinabalu with black throat, as adults in rest of range; further research required. Two subspecies tentatively recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution: