Species Fact Profile: Bearded Barbet (Pogonornis dubius)

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