Africa Wild

468. Green Barbet Stactolaema olivacea (Groenhoutkapper)
Order: Piciformes. Family Lybiidae.

Description
The Green barbet is a small, dull olive-green bird with a blackish crown, yellow-tinged eyebrow and ear coverts, and a typically heavy barbet-like bill. Sexes alike.

Distribution
Occurs in a series of isolated populations from Tanzania to South Africa, where it can be only be found in the Ongoye Forest, KwaZulu-Natal. This area consists mostly of coastal scarp forest with a large amount of fig (Ficus) trees.

Diet
It's diet is almost exclusively made up of fruit, especially figs, occasionally eating insects. The following food items have been recorded in its diet:
Fruit
Ficus (figs)
Ficus natalensis (Coastal strangler fig)
Ficus burkei (Common wild fig)
Ficus burttdavyi (Strangler fig)
Ficus bizanae (Pondo fig)
Ficus craterostoma (Forest fig)
Ficus sur (Broom-cluster fig)
Ficus ingens (Red-leaved fig)
Ficus glumosa (Hairy rock fig)
Cassipourea malosana (Onionwood)
Cryptocarya (laurels)
Macaranga capensis (River macaranga)
Syzygium gerrardii (Forest water-berry)
Tarenna pavettoides (False bridges-bush)
Schefflera umbellifera (False cabbage-tree)
Canthium inerme (Turkey-berry)
Insects (rarely)

Breeding
Both sexes excavate the nest, which is usually a small chamber dug into a dead upright tree trunk. Egg-laying season is from November-January. In one study, the female produced five eggs which were incubated by both sexes for 18 days. The chicks, who where fed regularly by both parents. They stayed in the nest for 29 days, after which they dispers.

Call
The call is a monotonous chop-chop-chop repeated at intervals.

Status
A common but localised resident.
Vulnerable, due its isolated populations in Africa. In South Africa, it occurs only in the Ongoye forest, where it is actually quite common. Nevertheless, protection of this forest's fruit trees is crucial to the survival of this species.

References: Biodiversity Expolrer

468. Green Barbet Stactolaema olivacea



Links:
Sabap2: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/spp_summary.ph ... &section=3
Species text Sabap1
Biodiversity Explorer: http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/bir ... ivacea.htm
The Larger Illustrated Guide to Birds of Southern Africa
BirdLife South Africa - Zululand Birding Route

466. White-eared Barbet Stactolaema leucotis (Witoorhoutkapper)
Order: Piciformes. Family Lybiidae.


Description
A dark brown barbet with a blackish head and prominenet white ear stripes and belly.
Adult: Dark brown to black, with distinctive and conspicuous broad white stripe extending behind eyes and down the sides of the neck. Wings and upper back lighter brown than crown and lower back. Feathers of lower breast tinged white. Belly white. Bill black, with a ridge on the base of the upper mandible. Legs and feet blackish grey. Eyes and bare skin around eyes black.

Distribution
It occurs in a band from Tanzania and Kenya to Mozambique and KwaZulu-Natal. In southern Africa it is locally common in the moist miombo (Brachystegia) and mahobohobo (Uapaca) woodland of Mozambique and eastern Zimbabwe, also occupying moist lowland forest in KwaZulu-Natal.



Habitat
Moist primary and secondary forest.

Diet
Mainly eats fruit, especially wild figs (Ficus), supplemented with insects. It does most of its foraging in the tree canopy.

Breeding
It is a monogamous cooperative breeder, with the breeding pair being helped by 1-6 helpers. The nest is usually excavated by the breeding pair, sometimes accompanied by helpers. It consists of a chamber dug into the underside of dead branches of trees, mainly Ficus (wild fig), but also Erythrina (coral-tree) and Syzygium (water-berries). Egg-laying season is from August-March, peaking from October-December. It lays 3-6, usually 4-5 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes and the nest helpers, for 14-18 days.The chicks stay in the nest for about 39 days, and are fed about 64% insects and 36% fruit (of which 99% is Ficus).
It has been recorded as host of the Pallid honeyguide and Lesser honeyguide.

Call
Especially noisy in groups. Various harsh skreek calls.

Status
Common resident.

466. White-eared Barbet Stactolaema leucotis

© Dingdingwe
Ndumo, KZN

© Duke
Mtunzini, KwaZulu-Natal

© Duke
Mtunzini, KwaZulu-Natal

© Super Mongoose

© Super Mongoose
St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal

© Peter Connan
Male, Maphelane, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, KwaZulu-Natal

Links:
Sabap2
Species text Sabap1
Biodiversity Explorer

467. Whyte's Barbet Stactolaema whytii
Order: Piciformes. Family: Lybiidae


Description
19cm, 52g
Sexes are alike. Overall brown appearance with pale yellow forehead, white below both eye and bill, and distinctive white wing panel. Juvenile lacks the yellow forehead.

Distribution
Occurs from southern Tanzania, through Zambia and Malawi, to eastern Zimbabwe and central Mozambique.



Habitat
Prefers climax and well developed miombo (Brachystegia) woodland on basal granite, especially if they are plenty of wild figs.

Diet
Mainly eats fruit taken directly from plants, supplemented with nectar and insects, hawking prey aerially or gleaning them from vegetation.

Breeding
Monogamous, facultative cooperative breeder, as the breeding pair are assisted by 1-6 helpers. The nest is an excavated hole in a dead branch, which often has several holes from different breeding seasons; it may also use the old nest of a Black-collared barbet. Egg-laying season is from September-January, peaking from September-October. It lays 3-6 eggs eggs on a bed of wood chips. The chicks are fed by both parents and group members, leaving the nest after about 49 days.

Call
Quietest barbet in the region; gives soft koo, koo, koo notes.

Status
Generally uncommon, or locally common in isolated areas. IUCN status uncertain, although it is vulnerable to the clearing of indigenous woodland for agriculture.

46y. Whyte's Barbet Stactolaema whytii

© Dindingwe
Harare, Zimbabwe

471. Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird (Formerly known as Goldenrumped Tinker Barbet) Pogoniulus bilineatus (Swartblestinker)
Order: Piciformes. Family: Lybiidae


Description
Length 9-11 cm, weight 12-18 g. Adult has a black head with two white stripes above and below the eye (One white stripe extends backwards from the eye, and another from the base of the bill, through the lores to the sides of the neck). Plain black back. Two short bright yellow wing bars and yellow wing feather edges. Upper tail coverts black. Chin, throat and flanks white to greyish white, chest and belly yellow.
Similar species: The black upperparts with white facial stripes distinguish it from the other two tinkerbirds.

Distribution
Its distribution is centred on West Africa and the DRC, it occurs from Senegal east through the Sahel to Uganda, extending south to northern Angola, northern Zambia and the eastern coast of southern Africa.



Habitat
It generally prefers evergreen and moist lowland forest.

Diet
It mainly eats fruit (Mistletoes, Wild figs, Pigeonwood, White-pear, Mitzeerie, Tasel-berry, Dune false-currant, Cat-thorn, Sandpaper raisin, Coastal sterlitzia), supplemented with insects and nectar, foraging in the upper tree canopy.

Breeding
Both sexes excavate the nest, which is a chamber in the underside of a dead branch. Tinkerbirds may place sticky mistletoe seeds around the entrances of their nests, probably to deter predators. Egg-laying season is from July to February in Zimbabwe and from October to March in South Africa. The female lays 2-4 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes.
It has been recorded as host of the Scaly-throated Honeyguide.

Call
The Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird calls from the top of trees tonk-tonk-tonk-tonk. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Common resident.

471. Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus

© Lisbeth

© Flutterby

© Duke
iSimangaliso, KwaZulu-Natal

© Duke
Ongeye Forest, KwaZulu-Natal

© Peter Connan
Maphelane, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, KwaZulu-Natal

Links:
Species text Sabap1
Sabap2
Lester Short, Jennifer F.M. Horne: Toucans, Barbets, and Honeyguides: Ramphastidae, Capitonidae and Indicatoridae
Ian Sinclair. SASOL VOELS VAN SUIDER AFRICA (3de UIT)

465. Acacia Pied Barbet Tricholaema leucomelas (Bonthoutkapper)
Order: Piciformes. Family: Lybiidae

by Dewi
KZN

Description
16-18 cm. It has a black-and-white striped head with a red forehead and yellow colouring above the eyes. It has a black bib under the chin, with a white breast and underparts. Upperparts black with yellow green markings. Sexes are alike.
Adult: Forehead bright red, mid-crown to central nape black. Supercilium broad and white, anteriorly yellow, extending well behind eye to sides of nape; widens posteriorly. Thick black eye stripe extends from base of bill across lores, and through eye to nape. Mantle, back, and greater and median upper wing coverts black, feathers tipped yellow. On back, amount of yellow increases posteriorly; centre of lower back yellow, lightly spotted black. Rump yellow; lower back and rump appear as narrow yellow stripe in flight. Upper tail coverts black, tipped yellow. Tail blackish brown, rectrices fringed buffy to whitish yellow, most prominent basally. Flight feathers blackish brown, outer webs edged yellowish white, secondaries and inner primaries most broadly edged yellow; inner webs basally white. Tertials blackish brown, with outer edges broadly edged white. Broad black bib extends from chin and throat into a point on the upper breast. Remainder of underparts white, washed dull yellow, sometimes greyish on flanks. Undersides of flight feathers greyish brown, with white bases to inner webs. Bill black to horn-black, heavy and deep; rictal bristles prominent. Eyes dark brown, but appear black at a distance. Legs and feet blackish or purplish grey.
Juvenile lacks red patch on forecrown.
Similar species: Larger size and broad black bib extending from throat to lower breast distinguish it from Red-fronted Tinkerbird. Also lacks broad yellow wing patch of Red-fronted Tinker­bird.

Distribution
Nearly endemic to southern Africa, marginally extending into Angola and Zambia. It is common in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique and South Africa, but absent from southwestern Namibia and southeastern South Africa. Range expanded in recent years, especially in SW Cape with planting of fruit-bearing trees and proliferation of artificial waterholes in drier regions.



Habitat
Thornveld, woodland, savanna, parks & gardens.

Diet
It feeds mainly on fruit from various trees and shrubs, such as Ficus, Rhus and Phoenix reclinata, as well as insects, Aloe nectar and flower petals.

Breeding
Monogamous. Solitary nesters in dead stems of softwood trees usually around 1 to 3 m above the ground. Quiver trees, umbrella thorn and sweet thorn are also used. Both sexes excavate the nest, which is a chamber dug into the underside of a dead branch. Recently excavated nests can be identified by fresh wood chips lying on the ground. Egg-laying season is from August-April. It lays 2-4 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 12-18 days. The chicks stay in the nest for about 35 days, and are fed by both parents.
Parasitised by Lesser Honeyguide, and very occasionally by Greater Honeyguide.

Call
A nasal nehh, nehh, neh, repeated at intervals, and a low-pitched poop-oop-oop-oop. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Common resident. Near-endemic, sedentary and found singly or in pairs.

465. Acacia Pied Barbet Tricholaema leucomelas

© Mel

© pooky

© Super Mongoose
Augrabies Falls National Park, Northern Cape

© Peter Betts
Camdeboo National Park

Links:
Species text Sabap1
Sabap2
Ian Sinclair. SASOL VOELS VAN SUIDER AFRICA (3de UIT)