The crested barbet is a sub-Saharan bird in the Lybiidae family. Its specific name commemorates François Levaillant, a famed French naturalist.
Region
Southern Africa
Typical Environment
Found widely across woodland, savanna, and suburban gardens from northern South Africa through Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia (northeast), Mozambique, and into southern Zambia and Malawi. It favors areas with scattered trees, riparian thickets, and edges of broadleaf woodland. Crested barbets adapt well to human-modified landscapes where old trees and fruiting plants remain. They avoid the most arid deserts and dense, closed-canopy forests but use clearings and ecotones. Nest sites are typically in dead limbs, stumps, or posts with soft wood that can be excavated.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The crested barbet is a sub-Saharan barbet known for its bold, confetti-like plumage and shaggy crest. Its specific name commemorates François Levaillant, a famed French naturalist. It excavates its own nest cavities in soft, dead wood and will vigorously defend territories, even against much larger birds. In many parts of southern Africa it readily visits gardens, especially where fruiting trees are present.
At Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa
Temperament
territorial and vocal
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs that maintain and defend year-round territories. Pairs excavate nest holes in soft or decayed wood and line them sparsely; both parents incubate and feed young. They may raise more than one brood in a good season and will aggressively chase intruders near the nest.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A loud, sustained, mechanical-sounding trill that can continue for long periods, often delivered from a prominent perch. Calls carry far and are used for territory advertisement and pair contact.
Plumage
Boldly mottled and barred, with a shaggy black crest; yellow underparts heavily spotted with black, and patterned black-and-white upperparts with red and orange highlights.
Diet
An omnivorous feeder taking a wide range of insects (beetles, termites, ants, caterpillars), as well as fruits such as figs, mulberries, and guavas. It occasionally consumes seeds and will take eggs or nestlings of other birds opportunistically. Foraging involves gleaning from trunks and branches and hopping on the ground to pick fallen fruit or insects.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in gardens, orchards, savanna woodland, and along riparian strips where fruiting trees and insect-rich substrates are available. Often forages at mid-levels in trees but also descends to the ground near shrubs and logs.
