White-eared Barbet
A species of African Brown Barbets Scientific name : Stactolaema leucotis Genus : African Brown Barbets
White-eared Barbet, A species of African Brown Barbets
Botanical name: Stactolaema leucotis
Genus: African Brown Barbets
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Francesco Veronesi , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Description
The white-eared barbet (Stactolaema leucotis) is a species of bird in the family Lybiidae (African barbets). It is found in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.
Size
18 cm
Feeding Habits
White-eared Barbet consumes a diet primarily of fruits like figs and berries, and insects including hornets, wasps, and grasshoppers. They use 'anvils' to kill prey and forage by gleaning, working over bark, and flycatching. White-eared Barbet is aggressive and dominant at food sources.
Habitat
The white-eared Barbet inhabits moist primary and secondary forests characterized by diverse tree species including Brachystegia and Uapaca. It is found in forest edges and adjacent gardens and plantations where fruiting trees are prevalent. The species is adaptable to degraded and more open areas, as long as there are fruit-bearing and dead trees essential for foraging and nesting. The white-eared Barbet has also been known to utilize Eucalyptus plantations for breeding if native trees and understory remain, particularly favoring areas with a significant presence of fig (Ficus) trees.
Dite type
Frugivorous
General Info
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Photo By Francesco Veronesi , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original