Jeff Wendorff's portfolio of
Barbets in the family Lybiidae.
The Lybiidae is a bird family containing the
African barbets. There are 42 species of Barbets. They range from the type genus Lybius of forest interior to the tinkerbirds (Pogoniulus) of forest and scrubland. Barbets inhabit sub-Saharan Africa, except the far southwest of South Africa.
As well as taking fruit,
African Barbets also eat arthropod prey, gleaned from the branches and trunks of trees.
Barbets feed on a broad range of insects, including ants, cicadas, dragonflies, crickets, locusts, beetles, moths and mantids.
Barbets will also eat scorpions and centipedes, and a few species will take small vertebrates such as lizards, frogs, and geckos.
We regularly see several species of
Barbets on my African Safaris. Check out
Wildlife Workshops for my next safari departures.
