Black-collared Barbet

Overview

The black-collared barbet (Lybius torquatus) is a species of bird in the family Lybiidae, native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is a gregarious species that is readily recognized by its loud duet and distinct plumage.

Identification

• Plump body with a large head, measuring 20–25 cm in length.
• Possesses a heavy bill fringed with bristles and a very obvious black collar and head.
• Features fire-engine red coloring around the eyes and beak, though morphological variation can replace the red head with a black one.
• Sexually monomorphic, meaning there is generally no phenotypic difference between males and females.

Habitat

Native to sub-Saharan Africa, this species is found across a wide range including Angola, Botswana, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It is considered a gregarious bird that often roosts together in nest holes, with groups of up to 15 recorded.

Diet

These barbets primarily eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, often visiting plantations to forage and consuming fruits whole before regurgitating the seed pits. Occasionally, their diet includes insects, centipedes, lizards, frogs, and geckos, though this occurs less frequently than fruit feeding.

Did you know?

The species performs a complex antiphonal duet with an auditory response time of approximately 178 ms, where one bird sings the first note and the partner sings the second in a synchronized manner that mimics a single vocaliser. This duet is accompanied by a ceremony where the pair faces each other, leans forward, and bows while flicking their wings.