BeardedBarbet

Description: The Bearded Barbet measures 25 cm and weighs 80-108 g. They are a distinctive, larger bird with a prominent, grooved yellow bill. Although many barbets species have hair-like feathers over their bill, on this bird these black feathers are the most pronounced, especially from under the bill giving them a “beard like” appearance hence its name.The plumage is predominately black; on the head, on the back with white at the lower end, wings, tail and lower chest. The upper breast is red as is most of the lower breast although this area is mixed with white. A band of black feathers separates the yellow skin around the eyes. The female has similar colours but has black spots on the white areas.

Distribution: The Bearded Barbet lives along the Ivory Coast in Africa, central Nigeria, central Cameroon to northwest Central African Republic. There is some presence in Chad, Guinea and Ghana.

Habitat: Woodland, thickets and orchards in dry areas.

Food: The feeding habits of the Bearded Barbet include eating of fruit from both wild or cultivated trees, dispersing seeds along the way. They also consume some insects. They will drink at nearly every chance, usually from tree crevices.

Reproduction and Development: Very little is known about the (wild) breeding habits of the Bearded Barbet. They seem to breed throughout the year, depending on the location but the most common period appears to be from May to September. Since its bill is not as “chisel-like” as that of a woodpecker, they tend to excavate nests in the softer wood of dead trees or its limbs. Unless they can take over an old woodpecker’s hole! Courtship includes food offerings, tail flicking and some vocalizations. This occurs 1 or 2 months before the breeding season. Copulation is frequent during the breeding season usually after the courtship feeding. There are usually 2 eggs, which incubate after at least, 16 days. The chicks are fed a diet of fruit and insects. They fledge after approximately 40 days.

Adaptations: The Bearded Barbet, as most barbets, hop and clamber about trees and move rather heavily through low bushes or on the ground. This is particularly true for the bigger species as this one; they fly well but look ungainly in the air and fly for short stretches only. They spend most of their time around trees in the drier areas; acacia, baobabs, fig trees but also fruiting trees in gardens, thickets, open woods as well as abandoned farms. They supplement their diet with certain insects.

Threats: They are quite common in their territories even though there is no definite data as to populations. Clearing of trees particularly dead ones will disadvantage the species but on the other hand, plantations of fruit trees will promote them. Some are taken as cage birds but this doesn’t influence the numbers greatly.


Zoo Diet: Soft bill gelatin, mixed fruit including apple, pear strawberries, kiwi & figs, romaine/spinach, carrots, real pasto (mixed with fruit), mealworms, large crickets, psittacine soft diet, exotic bird vitamin/mineral supply & oyster shell/insoluble grit

References: Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia, volume 7 Nashville Zoo/Piciformes