About Pogoniulus pusillus (Dumont, 1805)
The southern red-fronted tinkerbird, with the scientific name Pogoniulus pusillus (Dumont, 1805), measures 9–10.5 cm (3.5–4.1 in) in length. It is a plump bird, characterized by a short neck, large head, and short tail. Adult individuals have black upper parts that are heavily streaked with yellow and white, plus a golden wing patch. The head has a bold black and white pattern, with a red spot on the forecrown. The bird's underparts and rump are lemon yellow. Males and females look similar to each other, but young birds do not have the red forehead marking. This species can be told apart from the yellow-fronted tinkerbird by the color of its forehead spot, the presence of a golden wing patch, and its generally darker overall appearance. It is often mixed up with the red-fronted barbet, but it is noticeably smaller than that species, has a black moustache, a less thick bill, and does not have a broad yellow superciliary stripe. The call of the red-fronted tinkerbird is a fast repeated tink-tink-tink-tink, repeated at around 101 times per minute, and it is very similar to the call of the yellow-fronted tinkerbird. Many barbet species perch in exposed, prominent locations. However, unlike their larger relatives, smaller tinkerbirds sing from hidden cover, and are more often heard than seen.
