This is a small barbet with bright green upper parts, unstreaked green belly and flanks, orange-yellow face and throat-patches, and very small scarlet breast-spot.  These features distinguish it from the Coppersmith.   Also it has blue running down side of head and upper breast.  Sexes alike.  This is a very common bird in cultivated or openly-wooded country throughout the wet zone up to about 1000 metres and in scattered colonies in parts of the dry zone.