Psilopogon nuchalis

The most useful field mark is the bird's embroidered look: a mostly green body set off by a red spot on the lore, blue ear-coverts and lower malar, and a mustard-yellow throat that together give it a patchwork, hand-stitched appearance.

The Taiwan barbet measures about 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) long and weighs roughly 0.0877 kilograms. Its build is stocky, with a thick, black beak suited to its forest diet.

Color details continue across the body: the forehead is yellow, with a black stripe running above the eye, while the breast shows both a blue band and a red band above a yellowish-green belly. The feet are greyish, rounding out the bird's muted lower half against its brighter head and chest.

Sexes look alike, so males and females cannot be told apart by plumage.

The Taiwan barbet occurs only within Taiwan, across a range estimated at about 19,800 square kilometers, making it a true island endemic.

It favors dense forest habitat, commonly found at elevations up to 2,800 meters (9,200 feet), which allows it to occupy a broad elevational band from lowland forest to high mountain woodland.

Observation records through the year show a sharp rise in records during spring months, peaking around April and May, which may reflect seasonal presence or increased detectability during the breeding season rather than a true change in abundance.

1. The Taiwan barbet's alternate name, the embroidered barbet, comes from its intricate, multicolored plumage pattern.
2. It was first described by Gould in 1863, originally placed in the genus Megalaima as Megalaima nuchalis before being reclassified into Psilopogon.
3. It nests in tree cavities, either using an existing hollow or excavating a new one itself, during a breeding season that runs from March to August.