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Updated India Index Estimated a 31.2% Long-term Increase for Coppersmith Barbet

Coppersmith barbet perched in a fruiting tree
Conservation · Population & status

The updated national abundance index for coppersmith barbet (Psilopogon haemacephalus) showed a clear long-term increase in India, according to the 2026 interim release of State of India’s Birds. The index follows how often the species appears in complete eBird lists rather than directly counting individual birds. Compared with the baseline before 2000, the 2024/25 index was estimated to be 31.2% higher.

The numerical update was released on 6 May 2026 as version 2 of the State of India’s Birds dataset. It used 48 million eBird observations submitted across India through 31 May 2025 and recalculated range and trend values for 942 previously assessed species.

The recent annual trend was much flatter

The current annual trend — the average annual change in the reporting-based abundance index from 2015/16 to 2024/25 — was estimated at +0.47%. The uncertainty was broad, so the newer annual estimate did not provide clear evidence for either an increase or a decline.

The estimated national distribution range was about 2.13 million km², reflecting the species’ broad occurrence across India.

The interim release did not recalculate trend categories

State of India’s Birds states that the 2026 interim update changed the numerical estimates for distribution range, long-term trend and current annual trend, but did not recalculate the previously assigned categories for these measures. The species therefore remains in the low conservation-priority category used by the assessment.

Coppersmith barbet is also globally classified as Least Concern and is protected under Schedule II of India’s Wild Life (Protection) Act.

Sources and image credit

  1. State of India’s Birds Partnership. (2026). State of India’s Birds: Range, trends, and conservation status – 2025 interim update (Version 2) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20036633Primary interim release, created 6 May 2026.
  2. State of India’s Birds Partnership. (2026). Coppersmith Barbet (Psilopogon haemacephalus) factsheet: 2025 update.India-wide LTT +31.15% (95% CI +18.43 to +45.59), CAT +0.47%/year (95% CI −0.24 to +1.17), DRS 2,131,049 km².

Image: Khaja Mainuddin Bablu — representative coppersmith barbet photographed in Bangladesh. Source: Wikimedia Commons. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

About this content: This story was produced with AI assistance within an editorial workflow developed by Wildlife Vagabond. Editorial responsibility remains with Wildlife Vagabond.How AI is used

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