- Lybius leucocephalus
Identification
Large, black and white, with a heavy, toothed bill.
Variation
Tail is white in some subspecies but not in others.
Distribution
Africa: From Nigeria, Chad and Sudan in the north to Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania in the south.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Lybius leucocephalus has 6 subspecies[1]
- L. l. leucocephalus:
- East Central African Republic and South Sudan to Kenya and north-western Tanzania
- L. l. adamauae:
- L. l. albicauda:
- South-western and southern Kenya to northern Tanzania
- L. l. senex:
- Highlands of central and south-central Kenya
- L. l. lynesi:
- Central Tanzania
- L. l. leucogaster:
- Highlands of south-western Angola
Habitat
A bird of open woodland often close to water and areas of cultivation (particularly where there are fig and other fruit trees).
Behaviour
Breeding
Fruit trees are not only important as a source of food but also as nest sites; White-headed Barbets excavate nests in soft-wooded trees (fig, jacaranda etc). They are social birds often found in small groups when all the adults in a group will take part in incubating and feeding the young. However nesting birds may prevent others from roosting in the nest.
Diet
Their diet consists of fruit and insects (including arboreal termites).
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) White-headed Barbet. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/White-headed_Barbet
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
