The Barbets species of birds in Uganda; These birds have long necks and large heads. They are large plump birds, they derive their name from their heavy bills and fringe bristles. The barbets usually have bright colors. There are about 26 species of barbets that occur in Uganda of the 82 that happen worldwide. With Mirama hills safaris coming to Uganda for bird watching you expect to see barbets species such as;
Yellow-spotted Barbet, Double-toothed Barbet, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Grey-throated Barbet, Black-breasted Barbet, Crested Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Yellow-throated Tinkerbird, Spotted-fronted Barbet, White headed Barbet, Red-faced Barbet, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Red and Yellow Barbet, Green Tinkerbird, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Western Tinker bird, Speckled Tinkerbird, Mustached Tinker bird, Black-collared Barbet and Black-billed Barbet.
The Barbet is a species of birds in the family Lybiidae. It is also found in Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania and Togo
Barbet with black and red coloring. Its bill is large and off-white, and the skin around its eyes is yellow. The double-toothed barbet is black on the top side of its body with a patch of white feathers on its back. Its breast is red, with a white patch on its side. Females and males have similar markings, except that females have lines of black feathers on the white side patch. Juveniles of the species are duller; their feathers are dark grey
Barbets eat fruits and insects. They search in the foliage for food, usually staying below ten meters. Of insects, they eat beetles, termites, ants, which they find in the tree bark or in clusters of leaves. Often a double-toothed barbet will capture winged ants or termites while in flight. They also eat fruits: figs, papayas, avocados, and the fruits of the umbrella tree like Double-toothed barbets will eat the seeds of some fruits.
These barbets can be found in pairs or small family groups with helpers; lone double-toothed barbets are rare. Their territories are large.
Barbets roost communally, as all the barbets in a group roost in the same hole. Nests are made by excavating a tree, often rotting, at above two meters. Both barbets in a pair will dig out the nesting hole, and both will defend it. The entrance to the nest is circular, five or more centimeters across. Some nests have an entrance tunnel. At maximum, a nest is 46 cm deep
When a male double-toothed barbet displays for a female, he swings his tail and body around. He also shows the patches of white feathers on his flank. The courting birds will preen each other and go back and forth. The male will sometimes tap a nest entrance to attract the female toward it.
Breeding happens year-round. The female lay between two and four eggs, which are white. Incubation of the eggs lasts for about 13 days. At first, adult birds feed the hatchlings insects, then later mostly fruit. The hatchlings’ parents and the helpers remove feces from the nest. After 37 to 39 days, the hatchlings fledge.
Book your birding trips today with Mirama Hills Safaris to see several Barbets in Uganda and so many other bird species.