Vieillot's Barbet

About the Vieillot's Barbet

Vieillot's barbet (Lybius vieilloti) is a small bird in the family Lybiidae. Barbets are a group of near passerine birds with a pantropical distribution which get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills. This bird is named after the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot.

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.

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.

This species of African barbet is... Wikipedia →