- Trachyphonus erythrocephalus
Identification
20–23 cm
- Upperparts have red, yellow, white and black spots and streaks
- Yellow underparts
- Black tail
- Bright red or orange beak
Male
- Black cap and throat patch
- Small crest
Distribution
Eastern Africa: found in Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 3 subspecies[1]:
- T. e. shelleyi
- T. e. versicolor:
- Southeastern South Sudan, northeastern Uganda, southern and southwestern Ethiopia, southwestern Somalia, and northern Kenya
- T. e. erythrocephalus:
- Central Kenya to north-eastern and north-central Tanzania
Habitat
Rough areas with rocky outcrops, steep stream sides, open woodland with termite mounds.
Behaviour
Breeding
They lay their eggs at the back of a termite mount tunnel. The clutch consists of 2-6 eggs which are incubated mostly by the male. All members of the group help to feed the nestlings with insects, with the legs and wings being removed from the larger specimens first. The young will help rear the next generation.
Diet
Their diets consists of fruit and their seeds, particularly figs insects, spiders, lizards small birds and their eggs.
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
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved May 2015)
- Trek Nature
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Red-and-yellow Barbet. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 30 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Red-and-yellow_Barbet
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
