Climate change puts Coppersmith Barbets’ food, nests and breeding under pressure

Although still common across its range, the Coppersmith Barbet’s reliance on fruiting trees and tree cavities makes it vulnerable to climate-linked heat, rainfall shifts and storm damage.

Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and increasingly severe storms could disrupt the fruit supply, nesting sites and breeding cycle of one of South Asia’s most recognisable birds.

The rhythmic of the Coppersmith Barbet is a familiar sound in gardens, orchards and tree-lined neighbourhoods across Bangladesh. But climate change is placing growing pressure on the trees, food sources and seasonal conditions on which the colourful bird depends.

The Coppersmith Barbet, scientifically known as Psilopogon haemacephalus, is a native breeding bird in Bangladesh and is widespread across the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. Its green plumage, crimson forehead and throat, yellow face and metallic call make it one of the region’s most distinctive birds.

The species is currently classified as Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List and remains widespread and common across much of its range. However, that status does not mean it is protected from the intensifying effects of extreme heat, changing rainfall and habitat degradation.

Extreme heat reduces feeding time
Coppersmith Barbets spend much of the day moving among trees in search of figs, berries and other fruits. During extreme heat, birds generally need to spend more time resting in shade, cooling themselves and searching for water, leaving less time for feeding, defending territories and caring for their young.

A major study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution in 2025 found that intensifying heat extremes linked to human-caused climate change had reduced tropical bird abundance by an estimated 25 to 38 percent compared with a world without such warming. The strongest effects were recorded in lower-latitude tropical regions, where birds are often already living close to their thermal limits.

The research did not assess the Coppersmith Barbet separately. Published studies directly measuring climate-driven changes in this particular species remain limited. Nevertheless, its presence across tropical South Asia means it is exposed to the same rising heat extremes affecting other tropical birds.

Young birds may be particularly vulnerable because nestlings confined inside tree cavities cannot easily escape excessive temperatures. Prolonged heat can also force parent birds to reduce food-gathering activity, potentially affecting the growth and survival of chicks.

Changing rainfall threatens fruit supply
The Coppersmith Barbet is mainly a fruit-eating bird, with wild figs, including banyan and peepul fruits, forming an important part of its diet. It also consumes berries, flower petals and insects.

Its survival therefore depends on healthy and seasonally productive trees. Irregular rainfall, prolonged dry periods and unusually high temperatures can alter when trees flower and produce fruit. Extreme weather can also reduce fruit availability or cause crops to fall before ripening.

When fruiting seasons shift but the birds’ breeding cycle does not change at the same pace, parents may struggle to find enough food when their chicks need it most. Research has shown that extreme weather can alter the timing of plant and insect life cycles, increasing the risk of ecological mismatches between wildlife and their food.

Storms and tree loss destroy nesting cavities
Unlike birds that build nests from grass or twigs, Coppersmith Barbets excavate holes in tree trunks and branches. Both adults participate in preparing the cavity, which is used for breeding and sometimes for roosting. Dead or partly decaying wood is particularly important because it is easier for the birds to excavate.

More intense storms, cyclones and heavy rainfall can break old branches, uproot nesting trees or flood surrounding habitats. At the same time, the removal of mature trees for urban development, road construction and landscaping reduces the number of suitable cavities.

BirdLife International estimates that tree cover has declined by around 13.9 percent within the species’ mapped range. Climate change can compound that pressure by weakening trees through heat and drought and making them more vulnerable to storms, diseases and pests. (BirdLife DataZone)

This combination of climate stress and direct tree removal may be especially serious in expanding cities, where the barbet has adapted to living in parks, campuses, gardens and roadside vegetation.

A warning from a familiar bird
Because the Coppersmith Barbet remains relatively common, gradual changes in its abundance could go unnoticed without systematic monitoring. Researchers would need long-term information on population numbers, nesting success, fruit availability, local temperatures and breeding dates to determine precisely how climate change is affecting the species in Bangladesh.

Protecting mature native trees, retaining safe dead branches where possible, planting fruit-bearing species such as banyan and peepul and expanding connected urban green spaces could help the birds withstand rising temperatures and food shortages.

The Coppersmith Barbet may not yet be considered globally threatened. But the growing risks facing its food, nesting trees and breeding cycle show how climate change can quietly affect even familiar and adaptable wildlife-long before a species reaches the brink of disappearance.

The following video is in bangla: