Wild Birds

Pied Barbets or Acacia Pied Barbets

 
African Barbet Information … African Barbet Species IndexAfrican Barbet Photo Gallery

 

The Pied Barbet or Acacia Pied Barbet (Tricholaema leucomelas) is an African endemic that is found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

 

Description

They are usually about 20 – 25 cm long, plump-looking, with large heads. Their heavy bill is fringed with bristles.

 

Diet / Feeding

These mostly solitary birds eat a variety of fruits. They will also visit plantations and take cultivated fruit and vegetables. Fruit is eaten whole and indigestible material such as seed pits is regurgitated later.

They will also feed on insects, such as ants, cicadas, dragonflies, crickets, locusts, beetles, moths, mantids – sometimes even scorpions and centipedes. They may also eat lizards, frogs, and geckos.

 

Nesting / Breeding

They usually nest in holes bored into dead trees, branches, or stumps – occasionally in riverbanks or termite nests. The hen usually lays between 2 to 4 eggs that are incubated for 13–15 days. Nesting duties are shared by both parents.

Species Research by Sibylle Johnson


 

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Gordon Ramel

Gordon is an ecologist with two degrees from Exeter University. He's also a teacher, a poet and the owner of 1,152 books. Oh - and he wrote this website.

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