Vieillot's Barbet
Lybius vieilloti
A small, unusually colored barbet with a brown back, a red face, and pale yellow underparts. Also note the pale rump, the pale streaks on the back, and the red streaks on the underparts. Found in a variety of open habitats including savanna, thornscrub, and secondary scrub, usually in pairs or small groups. The color scheme separates this species from other barbets, while the typically chunky barbet bill separates it from other similarly sized birds. Vocalizations include scolding rattles and a long, slightly descending series of hollow hoots.
Identification
This is a sparrow-sized barbet at 15 cm (5.9 in). It is a plump bird, with a short neck, large head and short tail. The adult has a red head, and the neck and breast are a mixture of red and white. The upperparts are dark brown apart from a yellow stripe down the back. The rest of the underparts are yellowish with dark flank spotting. The bill is thick and dark grey. Sexes are similar, but immature birds are duller.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Lybius vieilloti
- Authority
- (Leach, 1815)
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Lybiidae
- Genus
- Lybius
Range and habitat
The Vieillot's barbet is a resident breeder in the African scrubland on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert from Senegal to Ethiopia. It is often found along wooded creeks in Zaria, Nigeria and its breeding season takes place during the months of April to July. It is an arboreal species of savannah and farmland which eats insects and fruit, especially figs. It nests in a tree hole, laying three eggs.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Medium-sized honeyeater recorded at higher elevations in the ranges behind Mackay in central Queensland. Gray overall; underparts slightly paler, with fine streaks on chest difficult to see. Dark cheeks split by a thin white gape mark that wraps back under and behind the bluish eye; also has a faint, narrow neck plume. Call is a series of sharp, frantic-sounding whistles.
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