[1] The crimson-fronted barbet was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae.

[4] The crimson-fronted barbet is now one of 33 species placed in the genus Psilopogon that was introduced in 1836 by Salomon Müller.

[6] In Sri Lanka, this bird is known as heen kottoruwa-හීන් කොට්ටෝරුවා in Sinhala language.

The crimson-fronted barbet has a mainly green plumage and wings, a blue band down the side of the head and neck, and a black crescent behind the eye.

Its forages for fruit and insects, and nests in tree holes, laying 2-4 eggs.