African Wildlife and Environment Issue 67
BIRDING
The colourful CRESTED BARBET
Larger and medium sized suburban gardens have in the last few decades become wonderful stable environments for birds that are able to adapt and live side by side with humans. One species which has found a comfortable niche in suburbia is the Crested Barbet, which readily colonise wooded gardens. Food is abundant on bird tables and so is fruit from exotic garden species. Nest sites in hollow alien trees are available, and are often supplemented by sisal nesting logs.
Willie Froneman
The Crested barbet Trachyphonus vaillantii readily excavates a nesting hole in these logs with its powerful, notched bill. The upshot of this is that it is now a very common garden bird in southern Africa. The barbet’s habit of finding and eating snails has endeared it to gardeners. With their amazing, multi-coloured plumage and monotonous metronomic, trilling call (not exactly musical, but rather soothing), a favourite in any garden. This is one of our most colourful birds. There is individual variation in the amount of red flecking on the head and throat, but the general appearance of all Crested barbets is unmistakable. It is a multi-coloured barbet, with a yellow face speckled with red and a black crest, and with the black chest band, easily identifiable. It is the largest barbet in the area; sexes differ slightly in plumage colouration. In the adult male the forehead feathers are yellow with variable red tufts, and side of neck is yellow with red spots. The ear coverts are yellow and black or yellow and red, with white tips. The centre of the crown, crest and back is glossy black flecked with white. The rump is lemon yellow with the upper tail coverts black with yellow tips. The tail is black above, with white spots forming bars. The chin and throat is yellow tinged with orange-red, a broad black bar variably spotted white covers the lower throat and upper breast. The breast to belly is yellow with variable red blotching with black bases to feathers. The undertail coverts are yellow with red tips, and the flight feathers are black with white tips The bill of both the adult male and female Crested barbet is pale yellow to horn-coloured, with a dark grey tip. The bill is heavy, notched and serrated, to aid in the cutting of fruit and the base of the bill is surrounded by bristles. The eyes are brownish red; the bare skin around the eyes is dark grey, with the legs and feet grey-black. The Crested barbet has a yoke-shaped foot, with two toes directed forward and two backwards; this design provides a good grip for perching, especially at the round nest entrance. The adult female is generally duller in colour than the male bird with less red. The throat of the female with the edge is a paler yellow as well. The immature birds are generally duller in plumage colouration with browner wings and less red streaking below and around the face. At times it is difficult to differentiate between
Photographs: Albert Froneman
47 | African Wildlife & Environment | 67 (2017)
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