Barbet (D'Arnaud's)

A sturdy little bird found in dry bushland in Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania. There are a number of cool things about them, including their mysterious group dynamics and their duetting.

Instead of making a nest in a tree like most self-respecting birds would, they dig a burrow straight down into the ground, 17-35 inches down, with a side room branching off of it a bit above the bottom so if it rains, the water will collect below the nest chamber and the eggs or chicks will remain dry.

The chicks do not emerge from the nest until they are ready to fly. Obviously, they live in arid regions for this nesting strategy to be successful.

Photographed at Bird Kingdom, Niagara Falls, Ontario