Bearded Barbet
Pogonornis dubius (Gmelin,
1788)
Range:
Western and Central Africa
Habitat:
Open Woodland, Dry Savannah
Diet:
Primarily fruit, young and growing birds are fed insects, possibly on small
lizards and frogs
Social
Grouping: Small flocks of 4-5 (often a breeding pair and their grown
offspring)
Reproduction:
Breeding can occur year round, most often from May-September. Usually 2 small white eggs are laid inside a
cavity in a dead tree. Eggs incubated
for 16 days, chicks fledge at 40 days.
Both parents care for the chicks, and may be assisted by the offspring
from previous clutches
Lifespan:
8-10 Years
Conservation
Status: IUCN Least Concern
·
One of the largest barbet species. Body length about 25 centimeters. Weight 80-108 grams. Males and females are roughly same size. Fairly plump body with a short neck and
fairly large head. On each foot two toes
point forwards, two point backwards
·
Males and females look alike. The crown, back, and tail are black. The throat and stomach are bright red,
separated by a band of black. The eyes
are surrounded by a whitish or yellowish patch, and the rump is white.
·
The bill is very large and yellow, with grooved
“teeth”. At the bottom is a clump of
black, bristly feathers, for which the species is named
·
Courtship displays consist of offerings of food,
vocalizing (grating, croaking, cawing sound), and flicking the tail, with
courtship starting 1-2 months prior to nesting
·
Related to the woodpeckers; uses its massive
beak not only to feed, but to help excavate holes in dead tree trunks
·
Not threatened, tolerant of human disturbance
and will forage in gardens and plantations.
Sometimes encountered in the pet trade and private aviculture
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