A big, conspicuous, colorful barbet of dry country with termite mounds. Both sexes have a black forehead and males also have a black throat patch. Usually in pairs and small groups. Separated from D’Arnaud’s Barbet by the unspeckled yellow face, and from Red-and-yellow Barbet by the lack of red on the head. The song is a long series of the same rollicking musical phrase repeated over and over, often given as a duet; similar to the song of Red-and-yellow Barbet, but higher-pitched and faster.