# Capito

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Genus of birds

For other uses, see [Capito (disambiguation)](/source/Capito_(disambiguation)).

Capito female Black-spotted barbet (C. niger) Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Piciformes Family: Capitonidae Genus: Capito Vieillot, 1816 Type species "Tamatia à tête et gorge rouge" Buffon=Bucco niger Müller, PLS, 1776 Species 11, see text

***Capito*** is a genus of birds in the family [Capitonidae](/source/Capitonidae). They are found in humid [forests](/source/Forest) in [South America](/source/South_America), with a single species extending into eastern [Panama](/source/Panama). Slightly larger than the members of the genus *[Eubucco](/source/Eubucco)*, members of the genus *Capito* are all [sexually dimorphic](/source/Sexually_dimorphic) and thickset, and have stubby pale bills that often are tipped black. With the exception of the somewhat aberrant [scarlet-crowned barbet](/source/Scarlet-crowned_barbet), black, red, orange, yellow and white are the dominating colours in their [plumage](/source/Plumage), and males have at least partially black backs. Typically seen singly or in pairs, they are primarily [frugivorous](/source/Frugivorous), but also take [arthropods](/source/Arthropod).

## Taxonomy

The genus *Capito* was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist [Louis Vieillot](/source/Louis_Pierre_Vieillot) to accommodate a single species, the "Tamatia à tête et gorge rouge" that had been described in 1780 by the French naturalist, the [Comte de Buffon](/source/Georges-Louis_Leclerc%2C_Comte_de_Buffon).[1][2] This is the [black-spotted barbet](/source/Black-spotted_barbet) that had been assigned the [binomial name](/source/Binomial_name) *Bucco niger* by the German zoologist [Philipp Statius Müller](/source/Philipp_Ludwig_Statius_M%C3%BCller) in 1776 and is the [type species](/source/Type_species) of the genus.[3][4] The genus name is from [Latin](/source/Latin) *capito*, *capitonis* meaning "big-headed".[5]

## Species

The genus contains the following 11 species:[6]

Image Scientific name Common name Distribution Capito auratus Gilded barbet Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela Capito aurovirens Scarlet-crowned barbet Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru Capito brunneipectus Brown-chested barbet central Amazon Basin, eastern Amazonas–western Pará states, North Region, Brazil Capito dayi Black-girdled barbet Bolivia and Brazil. Capito hypoleucus White-mantled barbet Colombia Capito maculicoronatus Spot-crowned barbet Colombia and Panama Capito niger Black-spotted barbet northeastern South America, ranging as far south as the Amazon River and as far west as the Branco River Capito quinticolor Five-colored barbet western Colombia and far north-western Ecuador Capito squamatus Orange-fronted barbet western Ecuador and extreme southwestern Colombia Capito wallacei Scarlet-banded barbet south-western Loreto, Peru Capito fitzpatricki Sira barbet eastern Andes of Ucayali Department, Peru

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Vieillot, Louis Pierre](/source/Louis_Pierre_Vieillot) (1816). [*Analyse d'une Nouvelle Ornithologie Élémentaire*](https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k9745205x/f33.item) (in French). Paris: Deterville/self. p. 27.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Buffon, Georges-Louis Leclerc de](/source/Georges-Louis_Leclerc%2C_Comte_de_Buffon) (1780). ["Tamatia à tête et gorge rouge"](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42410622). *Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux* (in French). Vol. 13. Paris: De l'Imprimerie Royale. p. 143.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Statius Müller, Philipp Ludwig](/source/Philipp_Ludwig_Statius_M%C3%BCller) (1776). [*Des Ritters Carl von Linné Königlich Schwedischen Lelbarztes uc. uc. vollständigen Natursystems Supplements und Register-Band über alle sechs Theile oder Classen des Thierreichs mit einer ausführlichen Erklärung ausgefertiget*](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/52710042) (in German). Nürnberg: Gabriel Nicolaus Raspe. p. 89.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Peters, James Lee](/source/James_L._Peters), ed. (1948). [*Check-List of Birds of the World*](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14477457). Vol. 6. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 24.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Jobling, James A. ["Capito"](https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/key-to-scientific-names/search?q=Capito). *The Key to Scientific Names*. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 2 October 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ioc_6-0)** [Gill, Frank](/source/Frank_Gill_(ornithologist)); Donsker, David; [Rasmussen, Pamela](/source/Pamela_C._Rasmussen), eds. (February 2025). ["Jacamars, puffbirds, barbets, toucans, honeyguides"](https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/jacamars/). *IOC World Bird List Version 15.1*. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 1 October 2025.

- Schulenberg, T., D. Stotz, D. Lane, J. O'Neill, & T. Parker III. (2007). *Birds of Peru.* [Christopher Helm Publishers](/source/Christopher_Helm_Publishers). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7136-8673-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7136-8673-9)

v t e Genera of trogons, hornbills, kingfishers, woodpeckers and their extinct allies Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Infraclass: Neognathae Clade: Coraciimorphae Clade: Cavitaves Cavitaves Leptosomiformes Leptosomidae Leptosomus †Plesiocathartes? †Waltonavis Eucavitaves Trogoniformes Trogonidae Apalharpactes Apaloderma †Eotrogon Euptilotis †Foshanornis Harpactes †Masillatrogon †Paratrogon Pharomachrus †Primotrogon Priotelus †Septentrogon Trogon Picocoraciae Bucerotiformes See below ↓ Picodynastornithes Coraciiformes See below ↓ Piciformes See below ↓ Bucerotiformes Bucerotiformes †Laurillardiidae Laurillardia †Messelirrisoridae Messelirrisor Upupi Phoeniculidae †Phirriculus Phoeniculus Rhinopomastus Upupidae Upupa Buceroti Bucorvidae Bucorvus †Euroceros Bucerotidae Aceros Anorrhinus Anthracoceros Berenicornis Buceros Bycanistes Ceratogymna Horizocerus Lophoceros Ocyceros Penelopides Rhabdotorrhinus Rhinoplax Rhyticeros Tockus Coraciiformes incertae sedis †Cryptornis †Paracoracias †Quasisyndactylus †Eocoraciidae Eocoracias †Geranopteridae Geranopterus †Primobucconidae Primobucco Septencoracias Brachypteraciidae Atelornis Brachypteracias Geobiastes Uratelornis Coraciidae †Chehuenia Coracias Eurystomus †Miocoracias Meropidae Meropogon Merops Nyctyornis Alcedines Alcedinidae Alcedininae Alcedo Ceyx Corythornis Ispidina Cerylinae Ceryle Chloroceryle Megaceryle Halcyoninae Actenoides Caridonax Cittura Clytoceyx Dacelo Halcyon Lacedo Melidora Pelargopsis Syma Tanysiptera Todiramphus Momotidae Aspatha Baryphthengus Electron Eumomota Hylomanes Momotus †Protornis? Todidae †Palaeotodus Todus Piciformes incertae sedis †"Homalopus" †Pristineanis †Gracilitarsidae Gracilitarsus Neanis †Sylphornithidae Oligosylphe Palaegithalus? Sylphornis Galbuli †Jacamatia Bucconidae Bucco Chelidoptera Hapaloptila Hypnelus Malacoptila Micromonacha Monasa Nonnula Notharchus Nystalus Galbulidae Brachygalba Galbalcyrhynchus Galbula Jacamaralcyon Jacamerops Pici incertae sedis †Rupelramphastoides †Miopiconidae Miopico †Picavidae Picavus Ramphastides Capitonidae Capito †Capitonides Eubucco Lybiidae Buccanodon Cryptolybia Gymnobucco Lybius Pogoniulus Pogonornis Stactolaema Trachyphonus Tricholaema Megalaimidae Caloramphus Psilopogon Ramphastidae Andigena Aulacorhynchus Pteroglossus Ramphastos Selenidera Semnornithidae Semnornis Picides Indicatoridae Indicator Melichneutes Melignomon Prodotiscus Picidae See below ↓ Picidae incertae sedis †Bitumenpicus †Breacopus †Palaeonerpes †Palaeopicus †Piculoides Jynginae Jynx Picumninae Picumnus Sasiinae Sasia Verreauxia Picinae †Australopicus †Palaeonerpes †Pliopicus Nesoctitini Nesoctites Hemicircini Hemicircus Picini Campethera Celeus Chrysophlegma Colaptes Dinopium Dryocopus Gecinulus Geocolaptes Micropternus Meiglyptes Mulleripicus Pardipicus Piculus Picus Campephilini Blythipicus Campephilus Chrysocolaptes Melanerpini Chloropicus Dendrocopos Dendrocoptes Dendropicos Dryobates Leiopicus Leuconotopicus Melanerpes Picoides Sphyrapicus Veniliornis Xiphidiopicus Yungipicus

Taxon identifiers Capito Wikidata: Q257715 Wikispecies: Capito Avibase: 65DAFF446AD05CAE BioLib: 23259 BOLD: 25372 CoL: 3H2L GBIF: 2479028 iNaturalist: 14080 ITIS: 553553 NCBI: 91764 Open Tree of Life: 815707 Plazi: 6A4FC6D4-380C-F6D2-9AE1-8CA4F9DB9FF9 ZooBank: 92C94F64-54D0-4BB5-84FE-9A6085B34C0E

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