The Usambiro barbet is a species of bird in the African barbet family Lybiidae. It was formerly considered a subspecies of D'Arnaud's barbet, along with Emin's barbet, but was split as a distinct species by the IOC in 2021. It varies from the nominate in having a longer wing, shorter tail, darker bill. The Usambiro barbet was originally described as a subspecies of D'Arnaud's barbet in 1908 by Oscar Rudolph Neumann from a specimen collected in Usambiro in Tanzania. It is now treated as a valid species in its own right.
Region
East Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs in northwestern Tanzania and adjacent southwestern Kenya, especially around the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem and the Lake Victoria basin. It favors open to lightly wooded savannas with scattered acacias and thorn-scrub. The species also uses pasture edges, fallows, and bushy garden margins in rural areas. It perches conspicuously on low shrubs or fence posts and forages both on the ground and in low vegetation. Termite mounds and earthen banks are important for nesting and sometimes for feeding.
Altitude Range
900–1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Split from D'Arnaud's barbet by the IOC in 2021, the Usambiro barbet differs by its longer wing, shorter tail, and darker bill. It is a duet singer; pairs deliver synchronized trills and rattles that carry across open savanna. Unusual for a barbet, it often nests in burrows excavated in earthen banks or termite mounds rather than in tree cavities.
Usambiro barbet in Kenya
Temperament
pair-bonded and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, undulating flights
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family groups that defend territories year-round. Pairs perform synchronized duets while perched prominently. Nesting often involves tunneling into termite mounds or earthen banks; both sexes participate in excavation and care. Clutches are small and parents are attentive.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A rhythmic duet of trills, rattles, and buzzing notes exchanged antiphonally between mates. Calls carry well across open ground and are used both for territory advertisement and pair bonding.
Plumage
Densely spotted and barred pattern with buff to yellowish underparts marked by black spots and a darker, mottled back. The throat is pale to whitish with fine spotting and a small dark bib, and the head shows a mix of pale buff, black spotting, and subtle rufous tones. Feathers are short and firm, giving a neat, scaled appearance.
Diet
Omnivorous, taking beetles, ants, termites, caterpillars, and other small invertebrates, along with fruits and berries such as figs. It gleans from low branches and shrubs, probes soft ground or termitaria, and occasionally hawks short distances for flying insects. Seeds and small fruits supplement the diet in drier seasons.
Preferred Environment
Forages at bush edges, in thorn-scrub, on termite mounds, and along tracks or fencelines. Often uses low perches to scan before dropping to the ground to pick prey.
