Red-and-yellow barbet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red-and-yellow barbet |
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| Adult male nominate near Lake Manyara, Tanzania | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Trachyphonus
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| Species: |
erythrocephalus
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| Subspecies | |
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The red-and-yellow barbet (Trachyphonus erythrocephalus) is a colorful bird. It lives in eastern Africa. This bird is part of the African barbet family. Male barbets have bright black, red, and yellow feathers. These feathers often have white spots. Female and young birds look similar but are not as brightly colored.
Red-and-yellow barbets live in rocky areas. They make their homes and sleep in burrows. These birds eat many different things. They are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Their diet includes seeds, fruit, and small invertebrates like insects. These birds can be quite friendly if people do not hunt them. Some tribes, like the Maasai, use their feathers.
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What Does the Red-and-Yellow Barbet Look Like?
Adult male red-and-yellow barbets have very special feathers. Their heads are black with a small crest. The back of their neck is orange and red with black spots. The sides of their neck are red, turning yellow. Their back is mostly black with white spots.
The tail is dark brown with cream spots. These spots form bars across the tail. The underside of the tail is yellow with black bars. Their chin and throat are yellow. There is a black patch in the middle of the throat. The chest is orange to red-orange. It becomes more yellow on the sides. A dark band with white spots crosses the middle of the chest. The lower chest and belly are yellow.
Their wings are black with brown feathers. All wing feathers have white spots. This makes them look spotted or banded. The long beak is usually red. The skin around their eyes is dark grey or black. Their eyes can be yellow-brown, dark brown, or red-brown. Their legs and feet are blue-grey.
Female barbets look like males but are less bright. They have less red and orange, and more yellow and white. Females usually do not have the black throat patch. Young birds are also duller than adults. They have less red and orange, like the females. The spots on their back are less white. All their black areas are more brownish. Young birds usually have grey eyes.
Where Do Red-and-Yellow Barbets Live?
The red-and-yellow barbet has three main groups, called subspecies. Each group lives in a different area.
- One group, T. e. erythrocephalus, lives in central Kenya and northeast Tanzania.
- Another group, T. e. versicolor, is found in southeast South Sudan, northeast Uganda, southwest Ethiopia, and northern Kenya.
- The third group, T. e. shelleyi, lives in Somalia and eastern Ethiopia.
These birds do not like very open areas or thick forests. They prefer places with "broken terrain." This means areas like riverbeds, cliffs, or termite mounds. They build their nests and sleep in tunnels. They usually look for food on or near the ground.
What Do Red-and-Yellow Barbets Eat?
Red-and-yellow barbets are omnivores. This means they eat both plants and animals. Their diet includes:
- seeds
- fruit
- Small invertebrates (like insects)
Gallery
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The back is mostly black with white spots.
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At Amboseli, Kenya
