D'Arnaud's Barbet Trachyphonus darnaudii Scientific name definitions

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D'Arnaud's Barbet (D'Arnaud's)

16–19 cm; 17–39 g. Rather distinctive . Nominate race brown, black, yellow and orange, speckled and streaked; white spots on brown back and tail, speckled head with some orange; small black throat patch extending to upper breast, black half-band across breast, mainly yellow underparts with red vent; bill rather short, brownish. Most similar to T. erythrocephalus and T. margaritatus, but considerably smaller, with black spots on head, less orange and red in plumage, shorter and brown bill. Sexes alike. Immature duller, less yellow. Race <em>boehmi</em> has unmarked black cap , and bill is often rather dark.

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Usambiro)

18–19 cm; 37–50·5 g. Brown, black, yellow and orange, speckled and streaked; white spots on brown back and tail  , speckled head with some yellow; small black throat patch extending to upper breast , black half-band across breast, mainly yellow underparts with red vent; bill rather short, brownish. Sexes alike. Immature duller, less yellow. Compared to <em>T. darnaudii</em> and T. emini, with both species the present was formerly considered to be conspecific (see Taxonomy comments), <em>T. usambiro</em> is largest of the three, has crown spots yellower (than T. darnaudii, while T. emini has an all-black crown), more distinct breastband (lacking black chin and throat of T. emini), usually darker lower breast and belly bars (than T. darnaudii, whereas T. emini has more white on belly, with less barring on sides and flanks), and on average darker bill (typically black or blackish, closest to T. d. boehmi).

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Black-capped)

16–19 cm; 32–50 g. Brown, black and yellow, speckled and streaked; white spots on brown back  and tail, speckled head; large black throat patch  extending to upper breast  , black half-band across breast, mainly whitish underparts with red vent; bill rather short, paler and yellower bill than other forms in T. darnaudii complex. Most like race <em>boehmi</em> of T. darnaudii, with which previously considered conspecific (see Taxonomy comments): differs from <em>T. darnaudii</em> in its considerably longer wing (male 76–85 mm, versus 69–80 in T. d. boehmi), shorter tail, markedly darker upperparts, broader black breastband and all-black chin and throat, and from <em>T. usambiro</em> in its yellowy-pink  (not greyish) bill, black (not buffy-white) chin and throat, black (not spotted) crown  , and longer bill and wings (wing of male T. usambiro 78–88 mm). Sexes alike. Immature duller, less yellow.

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D'Arnaud's Barbet (D'Arnaud's)

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Usambiro)

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Black-capped)

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Usambiro)

SW Kenya to CN Tanzania.

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Black-capped)

NC Tanzania (E to suburbs of Dar es Salaam).

D'Arnaud's Barbet (D'Arnaud's)

Open areas , wooded grassland, open woods, bushland, degraded shrubby grassland and pasture, favouring old “manyattas” (bomas, Maasai camps) that have been abandoned; frequently forages about camps and facilities in parks. Where T. erythrocephalus or T. margaritatus present, frequents flatter areas, away from streambeds used by these larger relatives. Generally at 180–1900 m (mostly below 1500 m in Ethiopia and Uganda), reaches coast in Somalia and to 2000 m in Kenya.

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Usambiro)

Open areas, bushland, degraded shrubby grassland and pasture, favouring old “manyattas” (bomas, Maasai camps) that have been abandoned; frequently forages around camps and facilities in parks. Where T. erythrocephalus also present, frequents flatter areas, away from streambeds used by this larger species. Occurs at 1100–2100 m.

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Black-capped)

D'Arnaud's Barbet (D'Arnaud's)

Resident and sedentary, with local movements only.

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Usambiro)

Resident and sedentary, with local movements only.

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Black-capped)

Resident and sedentary, with local movements only.

D'Arnaud's Barbet (D'Arnaud's)

Omnivorous: diverse fruits and berries , including Grewia, and their seeds, also insects of many kinds (ants, termites, grasshoppers, larvae and eggs of these and others). Feeds low or on ground, in loose groups, moving to nearest bush at sign of danger. Flycatches in jump-hops upwards, for termites. Birds gradually work around territory, pausing to chorus or, if response heard, to duet.

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Usambiro)

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Black-capped)

D'Arnaud's Barbet (D'Arnaud's)

Complex repertoire, duet  varies within and between races; two duet roles not absolutely assignable sexually, role A used by immatures, some of which later adopt role B of duet, single adults sing only A or B and, if recordings of one played back at different speeds, adult with other role responds at matching speed; song A usually of one long and two (or three) shorter notes in a set; song B with different long initial note and 2–3 other, short notes, with first note synchronously set between first and second A notes; overall effect “ker-ka-tee-too-tle,-”, sets repeated for up to c. 3 minutes; all group-members chorus in preliminary greeting ceremony before duets; if duetter removed, replaced within 1–2 minutes by another group-member, always singing song of missing duetter, so possible that adult can switch songs from A to B or vice versa. Pre-duet notes mainly “tik-et, tik-et”, also used in aggressive encounters; alarm a loud “tik” or chirp to aerial predator, repeated noisy “shreee-eek” to terrestrial predator; also hissing “ch-ch-ch” notes from pair; begging is soft “dddddd-” trill at 45 elements per second, clustered in sets of c. 0·2 seconds, repeated loud notes of same type when fed by adult; chattering call by fledged young, also by food-soliciting female. Loud bill-wiping; and wing-rustling or wing-fluttering at 15–25 beats per second by barbets flying to join group.

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Usambiro)

Vocally distinctive  , compared to the previously conspecific T. darnaudii and T. emini, which have very similar songs; in T. usambiro the A song duet is typically harsh, grating, almost squealing and reduced to 3–7 notes, e.g. “cherk-a-SKRRRRRK” or “Uk-ki-YERRRK”, which lacks any musicality and does not rise and fall in pitch, whereas B song is like that of the other taxa, rendered “ddddadddat, dddadddat...”. The timing, duet length and visual displays associated with these duets are identical between the three species. Also gives a rather reedy and squeaky “kuWEEER”, which may be repeated by duetting birds.

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Black-capped)

D'Arnaud's Barbet (D'Arnaud's)

Feb–Aug and Oct in Sudan and Ethiopia to NE Tanzania, or May–Oct in NE Uganda (perhaps even Nov in SW Ethiopia), greatly dependent on flooding, most breeding just before or immediately after rains; gonads of all group-members somewhat enlarged throughout year. Most groups of three birds, sometimes as many as five adults. Primary pair duets with crown, facial and upperpart feathers erected, head bobbing; tail spread and that of one bird (often female, sometimes both) cocked and waved, or flicked closed and then spread, or both hold tail down; any group-member other than pair driven down in bush if it starts singing. Nest-tunnel dug straight into ground, often in open, sometimes beneath grass tuft, to depth of 45 cm or to 90 cm; chamber off to one side, well above bottom of shaft (avoiding flooding to some extent), lined with grass; territory c. 100 ha, patrolled by foraging group with periodic duets along borders, where any counter-duetting singers attacked by duetting pair if they come too close. Eggs 2–4; incubation and nestling periods unknown, as is role of helpers, but pair seemingly performs most of incubation and brood-feeding; fledged young follow adults, begging loudly, return early in the evening to roost in nest, leaving in late morning, also return to nest during inclement weather. Apparently only 1–2 young survive, and probably remain in the group until next breeding season; captive young sing at 27 days of age. Longevity to 13 years in captivity.

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Usambiro)

No known differences from T. darnaudii, but season probably even more prolonged (perhaps even year-round), though probably varying with the extent and timing of rains, and with renesting following any failures: nests in Apr, Aug and Nov, nestlings in the Serengeti (Tanzania) in Jan and Sept, and juveniles in the same area in Jan–Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug and Oct, with gonadal data indicating breeding in Jul–Aug and Nov–Dec.

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Black-capped)

D'Arnaud's Barbet (D'Arnaud's)

Not globally threatened. Not uncommon throughout range; often common, even around villages, where frequently observed seeking food. Present in several protected areas, e.g. Samburu Reserve, and Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks (Kenya), and Kidepo Valley and Murchison Falls National Parks, and Napak Forest Reserve (Uganda).

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Usambiro)

Not globally threatened. Not uncommon throughout range; present in several protected areas, e.g. Masai Mara Game Reserve  (Kenya), and Tarangire and Serengeti National Parks (Tanzania). The population is presumed to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

D'Arnaud's Barbet (Black-capped)