It has a total length of c. 20 cm (8 in).
As other New World barbets, the gilded barbet is a thickset, relatively large-headed bird with a stubby bill.
The upperparts, tail, wings and mask are mainly black.
The spotty bar over the greater wing coverts, narrow edging to the remiges and tips to the tertials are yellow.
Additionally, the narrow yellow eyebrows extends as two parallel lines over the mantle.
The belly is mainly pale yellow with black streaking to the flanks.
Depending on subspecies, the throat ranges from red to orange, and the crown ranges from deep yellow over brownish-orange to reddish-orange.
The female resembles the male, but with extensive orange-yellow edging to the wing-coverts, yellowish streaking to the auriculars and back, and the black streaking of the flanks also extending over the chest.
In females from the westernmost part of its range (subspecies punctatus), the throat is streaked black.
Both sexes have dark maroon irides, greyish legs and a broadly black-tipped grey bill.
It has a total length of c. 20 cm (8 in). As other New World barbets, the gilded barbet is a thickset, relatively large-headed bird with a stubby bill. The upperparts, tail, wings and mask are mainly black. The spotty bar over the greater wing coverts, narrow edging to the remiges and tips to the tertials are yellow. Additionally, the narrow yellow eyebrows extends as two parallel lines over the mantle. The belly is mainly pale yellow with black streaking to the flanks. Depending on subspecies, the throat ranges from red to orange, and the crown ranges from deep yellow over brownish-orange to reddish-orange. The female resembles the male, but with extensive orange-yellow edging to the wing-coverts, yellowish streaking to the auriculars and back, and the black streaking of the flanks also extending over the chest. In females from the westernmost part of its range (subspecies punctatus), the throat is streaked black. Both sexes have dark maroon irides, greyish legs and a broadly black-tipped grey bill.
Gilded barbet