Hairy-breasted Barbet
Tricholaema hirsuta
A big dark barbet of humid forest of low and middle elevations. The back is black with yellow spotting and the underparts are yellow with black striping and spotting. The head pattern varies geographically. The throat can be striped or solid black, and the face can be speckled (central Africa) or black with a white eyebrow and moustache mark (northern and western parts of the range). Somewhat similar to Yellow-spotted Barbet, but larger overall with a bigger bill and a dark cap. Usually detected by voice: a long, slow series of low, hollow hoots. Occasionally also gives a much faster tooting series.
Identification
Its length is 17–18 cm (6.7–7.1 in), and it weighs 43–63 g (1.5–2.2 oz). The male has a blue-black head with a white superciliary line and a white malar stripe. The upperparts are black with yellow spots on the back and yellow bars on the rump. The tail is brown-black. The throat is black. The breast and flanks are yellow with black markings. The wings are brown-black, with some feathers having yellow edges. The beak is black and the legs are grey. The eyes are red or red-brown. The dorsal markings and underparts of the female are more golden yellow. The immature has laxer plumage. The spots on its upperparts are paler and sparser. The black markings on its vent are more barred.<p>T. h. flavipunctata does not have stripes on its head. There are white spots on its face and yellow spots on its head. Its back is browner, and its underparts are a dull brownish-yellow. T. h. angolensis is browner than flavipunctata. There are fine whitish spots on its face. Its vent is brownish, and its throat is brown-white with brown bars. T. h. ansorgii has narrow lines on its face. Its throat is white and streaked with black. Its upperparts are browner, and its underparts are less bright.
Taxonomy
The species was described as Pogonias hirsutus by William John Swainson in 1821. Four subspecies are recognized: T. h. hirsuta, from Sierra Leone to south central Nigeria; T. h. flavipunctata, from southern Nigeria to central Gabon; T. h. angolensis, from southern Gabon to northern Angola and T. h. ansorgii, from eastern Cameroon and the east of the DRC to western Kenya and northwestern Tanzania.
- Scientific name
- Tricholaema hirsuta
- Authority
- (Swainson, 1821)
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Lybiidae
- Genus
- Tricholaema
Range and habitat
The hairy-breasted barbet is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda. The size of its range is estimated at 6,840,000 km2 (2,640,000 sq mi). It is found at elevations of up to 1,800 m (5,900 ft). Its habitat is mainly lowland primary forests and it also enters older secondary forests.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Columba eversmanni
Nondescript brownish-gray pigeon with a bright yellow eye-ring. Wing pattern noticeably weaker than that of larger Hill Pigeons and wild-type Rock Doves. Favors open arid areas and mountain valleys, usually near a water source. Breeds in western Central Asia, with part of the population migrating south to western South Asia in the winter. Species has undergone significant decline in recent years and is now fairly uncommon in its range.
Tibetan Sand-Plover
Anarhynchus atrifrons
Medium-sized plover with a pale throat, brown back, and white belly. Breeding adults have a black mask and a bright orange chest and neck; males average brighter than females. Non-breeding and immature birds are brownish above and white below, with a variable white forehead and eyebrow. Compare with slightly larger Greater Sand-Plover; Tibetan is proportionally smaller-headed and darker-legged, and its shorter bill has a slight bulge at the tip. Smaller Kentish Plover can be similar in non-breeding plumage; Tibetan is taller and longer-legged, without Kentish’s strong white neck band. Very difficult to distinguish from Siberian Sand-Plover, especially nonbreeding and immature birds, though identification can often be presumed by range. In breeding plumage, note the more extensive black mask of Tibetan, typically lacking the white spot on the forehead of Siberian. In nonbreeding plumage, look for a generally broken breast band and clean white flanks in Tibetan. In areas of overlap many birds best left unidentified. Breeds on margins of high-elevation lakes and rivers in China and Mongolia; winters on coastal mudflats, beaches, and inland lakes from Africa to Indonesia.
Spanish Sparrow
Passer hispaniolensis
Similar in size and shape to House Sparrow. Breeding season males have a heavily streaked black breast and back and a rufous crown and nape. Males are duller in the nonbreeding season. Females are very difficult to separate from female House Sparrows but tend to have bigger bills and paler bellies. Colonial, builds huge stick nests, often in/under White Stork nests.
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