The miombo pied barbet is a species of bird in the family Lybiidae. It is found in south-central Africa.
Region
Miombo belt of south-central Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily across the miombo woodlands from Angola and southern Democratic Republic of the Congo through much of Zambia to Malawi, western Mozambique, northern Zimbabwe, and southwestern Tanzania. It favors mature miombo with a mix of dead snags for nesting and fruiting trees for feeding. The species also uses woodland edges, lightly wooded farmland, and riverine thickets within the miombo matrix. Local presence can be strongly tied to seasonal fruit availability.
Altitude Range
600–1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The miombo pied barbet is closely tied to Brachystegia–Julbernardia (miombo) woodlands and is often first detected by its persistent, rhythmic duet. Like other barbets, it excavates nest holes in dead branches using its stout, chisel-tipped bill. It feeds heavily on fruit but supplements its diet with insects, helping disperse seeds and control arthropods. Pairs hold territories year-round and advertise them with synchronized calling.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short undulating flights between trees
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs that maintain territories throughout the year. Both sexes excavate a cavity in a dead branch for nesting and share incubation and chick-rearing duties. They may join mixed-species flocks briefly while foraging but remain pair-focused during the breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a repetitive, hollow series of notes delivered as a duet, with partners alternating at a steady tempo. Calls carry well through woodland and may accelerate or vary slightly in pitch during territorial exchanges.
Plumage
Pied black-and-white head and upperparts with a clean white throat and pale underparts lightly streaked on the flanks. A small red forecrown patch sits above the bill, and a bold white supercilium contrasts with a black crown and malar. The wings are dark with pale spotting and edging, and the back can show olive-brown tones.
Diet
Primarily eats fruit, including figs and berries, often swallowing small fruits whole and later dispersing seeds. Supplements with insects such as beetles, ants, termites, and caterpillars gleaned from bark and foliage. Occasionally takes nectar or small arthropods flushed from leaf clusters. Foraging is deliberate, with short pauses to hammer or pry at substrates.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the mid- to upper canopy of miombo trees and along woodland edges with fruiting shrubs. Also visits cultivated fruit trees in villages and farmsteads adjacent to woodland.
