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White-headed Barbet

Lybius leucocephalus

Not Evaluated · IUCN Red List

NENot EvaluatedFruitWoodlandCavity nestMedium · 63 g
White-headed Barbet (Lybius leucocephalus), photo 1
Photo: avocat · CC BY 4.0
White-headed Barbet (Lybius leucocephalus), photo 2
Photo: avocat · CC BY 4.0
White-headed Barbet (Lybius leucocephalus), photo 3
Photo: Caroline Quinn · CC BY 4.0
White-headed Barbet (Lybius leucocephalus), photo 4
Photo: Rafael Würtemberger · CC BY 4.0
White-headed Barbet (Lybius leucocephalus), photo 5
Photo: marsyd · CC0
White-headed Barbet (Lybius leucocephalus), photo 6
Photo: Adrien Jailloux · CC BY 4.0
White-headed Barbet (Lybius leucocephalus), photo 7
Photo: Adrien Jailloux · CC BY 4.0
White-headed Barbet (Lybius leucocephalus), photo 8
Photo: avocat · CC BY 4.0
White-headed Barbet (Lybius leucocephalus), photo 9
Photo: Adrien Jailloux · CC BY 4.0
White-headed Barbet (Lybius leucocephalus), photo 10
Photo: (c) William Stephens, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

What the White-headed Barbet sounds like

Sonogram of the White-headed Barbet: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Anne Ndung'u · Song · Nairobi, Nairobi County, Kenya · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the White-headed Barbet: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Anne · Call · Nairobi, Nairobi County, Kenya · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

This species is one of the largest in this genus at 18–19.5 cm (7.1–7.7 in) in length. It is a black and white type of barbet that has a stubby neck and a heavy-toothed bill. It is found in open woodland areas that are close to water and cultivation. It utilizes fig and jacaranda trees to find food and to excavate nests. These birds are also very social and live in small groups.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the White-headed Barbet

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is July, the month with the most records.

Where to see the White-headed Barbet

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 9 countries with regular records, and 1 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Kenya Uganda Tanzania Nigeria Rwanda Cameroon Angola Chad Congo - Kinshasa

Recorded as a rare visitor in South Sudan.

About the White-headed Barbet

The white-headed barbet is a species of bird in the family Lybiidae. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Vieillot's Barbet (Lybius vieilloti) Vieillot's BarbetLybius vieillotiThis is a sparrow-sized barbet at 15 cm (5.9 in). Black-billed Barbet (Lybius guifsobalito) Black-billed BarbetLybius guifsobalitoLybius guifsobalito can reach a wingspan of 7.9–9.4 cm (3.1–3.7 in) in males. Banded Barbet (Lybius undatus) Banded BarbetLybius undatusThis barbet is approximately 20–25 cm long, stocky-looking, with a large head and a heavy bill with the bristles that the Lybius species is known for.

Side by side: Black-collared Barbet vs White-headed Barbet · Vieillot's Barbet vs White-headed Barbet · Black-billed Barbet vs White-headed Barbet

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