Black-billed Barbet Lybius guifsobalito Scientific name definitions

16–18 cm; 35–57 g. Chunky, short-tailed, mostly black barbet . Both sexes with red forehead, face and throat to upper breast , mainly black body; some yellow to white on edges of flight-feathers and (when fresh) rectrices, also in wing-coverts; black bill has 1–2 “teeth”. Differs from L. torquatus in black lower underparts. Immature duller, red areas more orange and less extensive, bill without “teeth”.

E Sudan, Eritrea and W & C Ethiopia S to extreme NE DRCongo, C Uganda, W Kenya and CN Tanzania; range expanding in W Kenya. Recently reported from N Cameroon, so may occur in Central African Republic.

Berries and fruits, including figs , guavas, papayas, peppers and others, as well as ants, termites, beetles, Hemiptera and other insects. Gleans along branches and in foliage, picking fruit and insects; flycatches at intervals, extensively so when termites are flying.

Complex greeting ceremonies with chattering, grating, “kek” notes, often leading to duet or occasionally 3-bird singing, with distinct sexual songs, one (male?) lower “a-poot”, other higher-pitched “kik-ka”, in synchrony over 3–10 seconds or more; duet  similar to that of L. torquatus but noisier, faster; “wup-wup-” in series by lone bird, possibly location or gathering call; during encounters grating calls, “kek” calls, chatter calls, and frequent loud bill-wiping and wing-fluttering.