A Beautifully Black Collar Perfectly Frames A Splash Of Passionate Red On A Bird With A Very Unique Call!

clonejoe | March 30, 2023 | Articles

A medium-sized, somewhat chunky bird whose face springs into view due to his vivid red face!

Meet the Black-collared Barbet!

“Black-collared Barbet, Lybius torquatus” by Derek Keats is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The black-collared barbet (Lybius torquatus) is a bird measuring 20 – 25 cm long. Fairly chunky in stature they wear a heavy bill fringed with bristles surrounded by a splash of vivid red which itself is surrounded by a collar of black. More intensely colored than other barbets this a sexually monomorphic species, which means this is almost no phenotypic difference between the sexes.

by Derek Keats is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

As mentioned there is very little difference between males and females.

There is a rare member of this species known as the yellow-headed (or xanthocroic) form.

Photo courtesy of Margaret Elworthy Coombes = Ray Coombes – Own work/CC BY-SA 4.0

This bird is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

“Barbet Black-collared 2011 10 22 12 24 19 4658” by Alandmanson is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Mostly well-wooded habitats especially riparian forests where there is plenty of fruit, often going to plantations.

“Black-collared Barbet (Lybius torquatus)” by berniedup is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Barbets are usually fairly solitary birds who dine on a wide variety of fruit and vegetables which they eat whole. They have also been seen dining on insects, centipedes, frogs, geckos, and lizards.

The breeding season for the Black-collared barbet is between December and February when lucky people get to hear their “too-poudle” song, which is actually an antiphonal duet. After which 45 to 55 mm holes are excavated in dead tree trunks.

“Black-collared barbet (Lybius torquatus)” by flowcomm is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

This bird is considered as of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

“Black collared barbet imitating Adam” by Derek Keats is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

You can listen to this bird’s unique call in the video below:

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