Overview
A blaze of red, yellow, black and white among the thorn scrub may reveal one of northern Tanzania’s most distinctive birds. The red-and-yellow barbet is a boldly patterned ground barbet found in dry savannah, open woodland and scrub, particularly where termite mounds, rocky banks and broken ground provide suitable nesting sites.
Despite its vivid plumage, it often spends much of its time close to the ground. It hops through sparse vegetation searching for insects, fruit and seeds, then moves to an exposed branch, rock or termite mound to watch its surroundings.
Red-and-yellow barbets frequently live in pairs or small family groups. Their loud, nasal calls and animated movements make them conspicuous residents of northern Tanzania’s dry country, including areas around Tarangire and Lake Manyara.
Behaviour & How to Identify
Look for a robust, medium-sized bird with a heavy red bill and an extraordinary mixture of colours. Adults have a red-and-yellow head and underparts, a black breastband spotted with white and black wings patterned with rows of white spots.
Males are generally brighter and have a black crown and dark throat patch. Females are slightly duller and usually lack the male’s distinct black throat marking.
Pairs excavate nesting and roosting tunnels in the sides of termite mounds, earthen banks or similar soft ground. Their strong bills help loosen the material, while the feet push debris backwards out of the tunnel.
Interesting facts
They often nest inside termite mounds. The birds excavate a tunnel leading to a protected chamber within the mound.
Their colourful appearance is not limited to red and yellow. Black plumage covered with white spots makes the bird even more striking at close range.
They are more terrestrial than many other barbets. Red-and-yellow barbets frequently feed, run and hop across the ground rather than remaining high in trees.