Meet The Bird That Is Known For Its Colorful Feathery Bristles Surrounding Its Heavy Bill – The Usambiro Barbet!

These birds are named as such for the feathery bristles that surround their big beaks.

Fhilcar

• Published in Animal Stories
• November 6, 2021

Some of you may be familiar with birds, in particular, barbets. Also known as Trachyphonus Usambiro, the Usambiro Barbet is in the family Lybiidae and originally belonged to the sub-species of D’Arnaud’s barbet.

The Usambiro Barbet was discovered in 1908 from a specimen collected by a German ornithologist and naturalist named Oscar Rudolph Neumann in Usambiro in Tanzania.

Just very recently, the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC) recognized the Usambiro Barbet as a distinct species or a species of its own.

Its distinct characteristic is its proudly huge and darker beak fringed with a colorful display of feathery bristles: in hues of white, bright yellow, green, and orange.

Aside from its darker beak, you can differentiate an Usambiro Barbet from the rest for its relatively shorter tail and longer wings.

Looking at the photos of this bird, you will notice that it is plump-looking. Its head is faint yellow with noticeably black spots.

The breast area of the Usambiro Barbet is a bright yellow-orange flecked with black, beneath which is a dark breast band.

Black and white are the colors of its wings. The vent, on the other hand, is colored a rusty shade of red.

If you are curious about what these birds feed on, well, they consume a wide range of insects, fruits, and seeds.

Meet the Usambiro Barbet.

This colorful bird is undeniably cute, right? Look, it stands proudly on the branch showing its beautiful matching colors.

Its big and dark beak can is what you can spot instantly.

The plump-looking bird.

Now you get a clearer view of its plump appearance and you get to see all its colors. From its faint-colored yellow head with black spots to its bright yellow-orange breast that is flecked with black.

This view also clearly shows its dark breast band. Its black and white wings are apparent with its rusty shade of red vent.

There is no distinction at all between the male and female as they both look the same.

If you are wondering how big this bird can get, it weighs around 37 to 50.5 grams and is around 18 to 19 centimeters in length.

The Usambiro Barbet in its habitat.

The Usambiro Barbet dwells in open areas like shrublands, grasslands, pastures, and the savannah.

You can find this bird in northern Tanzania and southern Kenya specifically in Serengeti National Park and Maasai Mara National Reserve.

A solitary bird.

The Usambiro Barbet does not go in flocks. This bird loves to be alone.

They feed on a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.

They are frequent in plantations as they feed on cultivated fruit as well as vegetables.

They are agents in seed dispersal too.

Aside from seeds, fruits, and vegetables, they also like to dine on a wide range of insects. Beatles, locusts, cicadas, ants, crickets, dragonflies, scorpions, and even centipedes are their favorite insects.

What about reproduction?

They love to nest in tree cavities. There the female usually lays around 2 to 4 eggs and incubates them for 13 to 15 days.

Parenting is not an issue as both males and females share parental duties.

Check this out if you want to listen to its sound.

This bird proves that it is not just any ordinary bird. It is undeniably beautiful with attractive colors, plays a vital role in the ecosystem, is a good insect killer, and is responsible for seed dispersal.

Although they live in a restricted range, this species is not at any immediate risk. Thank goodness!

Fhilcar