Barbet (Bearded)

The bearded barbet is the second largest of the African barbets, topped only by the black-breasted barbet. The plumage is dominated by black on the head, back, wings, tail and lower chest. The upper breast is red as is most of the lower breast, although the lower is mixed with white. A band of black feathers separates the two areas. Yellow skin surrounds their eyes. Sexes look similar. Like many barbets, the bearded barbet has a strong bill with 'teeth' or grooves and eats fruit and insects.

They seem to breed throughout the year, depending on the location but the common time is from May to September. They excavate nests in the softer wood of dead trees or 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.



Photographed at Bird Kingdom, Niagara Falls, Ontario