The red-fronted barbet is a species of bird in the Lybiidae family. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Region
East Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily from southern Ethiopia through South Sudan and Uganda to Kenya and northern Tanzania, favoring dry savanna, thornbush, and open acacia woodland. It is frequently found along woodland edges, riparian thickets, and in semi-arid scrub. The species adapts to human-modified landscapes, visiting orchards and gardens with mature trees. It nests in tree cavities, often in dead branches, within its preferred dry woodland habitat.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2400 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
This East African barbet is a cavity nester that excavates its own nest holes in dead wood using its stout bill. Pairs often duet with rhythmic, repetitive notes that carry over long distances. By consuming figs and other fruits, it plays an important role in seed dispersal across dry savannas and woodlands.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short undulating flights between trees
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, sometimes with dependent young. Pairs maintain territories and excavate nest cavities in dead wood, where both sexes participate in incubation and feeding. They often perch conspicuously while calling and sally between perches and fruiting trees.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A repetitive series of hollow, resonant notes delivered as a duet by pairs, often continuing for long periods. Calls include churring and tuk-tuk phrases used in contact and territorial contexts.
Plumage
Olive-brown upperparts with light mottling; underparts buffy-white with dark spotting and streaking on the breast and flanks. The head shows contrasting facial patterning with a bright red forecrown. Feathering is dense and slightly fluffy around the head and neck, typical of barbets.
Diet
Feeds on a mix of wild fruits (especially figs and berries) and arthropods such as beetles, ants, and termites. Occasionally takes seeds and small invertebrates gleaned from bark and foliage. Fruit is swallowed whole with seeds later dispersed, while insects are picked methodically from branches.
Preferred Environment
Forages in mid-levels to canopy of acacia and mixed woodland, as well as thorn scrub. Frequently visits fruiting trees in woodland edges, farmlands, and gardens.
