Black-collared Barbet vs Vieillot's Barbet

Black-collared Barbet

Lybius torquatus

Small52 gGrassland

The black-collared barbet usually is about 20–25 cm long, plump-looking and has a large head. It also has the heavy bill fringed with bristles that is characteristic of the genus Lybius. This barbet has a very obvious black collar and head which gives reference to its name. It also has a fire-engine red coloring around the eyes and beak. It has morphologically variable coloring because there is a replacement of a red head with a black head. It also has a more intense color and is larger than other barbets.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: flowcomm · CC BY 2.0

Vieillot's Barbet

Lybius vieilloti

Small36 gWoodland

This is a sparrow-sized barbet at 15 cm (5.9 in). It is a plump bird, with a short neck, large head and short tail. The adult has a red head, and the neck and breast are a mixture of red and white. The upperparts are dark brown apart from a yellow stripe down the back. The rest of the underparts are yellowish with dark flank spotting. The bill is thick and dark grey. Sexes are similar, but immature birds are duller. Voice: This species of African barbet is known to duet year-round, unlike other species that only duet during breeding season. The L. vieilloti has been reported to "yodel", which is a succession of two flute-like notes which are uttered by two birds sitting on a bough as they bow ceremoniously to each other. This yodel is immediately answered by the other bird of the pair with the sound "poop-poop".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Christoph Moning · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-collared Barbet and Vieillot's Barbet.