Bristling With Character

There’s no such thing as a dull barbet of any kind, but the magnificent bearded barbet of Africa is arguably the most striking. Bill Naylor explains that while it hasn’t actually got a beard, it abounds in splendid looks and habits

- Bill Naylor

Did you know that barbets are related to woodpeckers? Their zygodactyl feet – two toes forward, two to the rear – and their habit of using their tail as a prop when working on a tree illustrates these family ties.

There’s another living link but between the toucans and the barbets: the toucan barbet (Semnornis ramphastinus), bred at Winged World UK in 1972. This bird shares a family with another species, the prong-billed (S. frantzii ).

“Barbet” derives from the French word “barbu” meaning bearded, which refers to the bristle-like feathers surrounding their stout bills. This is very prominent in the bearded barbet (Lybius dubius).

Some barbet species, including the bearded and similar-looking double-toothed barbet (L. bidentatus), which lacks the broad black breast band of the bearded barbet, have tooth shapes on their upper mandible, giving the impression they’re carrying something in their beaks.

Although barbets are mainly fruit eaters, the beaks of the larger species, unlike those of toucans and toucanets, are not fashion accessories. They’re strong, efficient woodworking tools and I can testify that even a small barbet, like the brown-throated (Psilopogon corvinus) can inflict a memorable bite.

Geographical connections

The barbets comprise a vast number of species, many of which are colourful, extrovert birds. A small proportion is well known to aviculturists.

Some have been bred in the UK and there are numbers recorded of those kept in captivity. San Diego Zoo, California, and Frankfurt Zoo in Germany have had notable success, and the bearded barbet is one of the most frequently bred barbets in the US and Europe.