Photo: Jenny Varley / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Crested Barbet
Trachyphonus vaillantii
Crested Barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Crested Barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii) is a member of the Lybiidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 69.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Lybiidae African Barbets
- Genus Trachyphonus
- Species vaillantii
Quick facts
- Weight
- 69.4 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Lybiidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Crested Barbet is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Crested Barbet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Crested Barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii) is a species of bird in the Lybiidae family, part of the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF sc, se.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 69.4 g, with a wing length of about 10 cm and a tail of around 9.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Crested Barbet?
The Crested Barbet is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 69.4 g.
Where does the Crested Barbet live?
The Crested Barbet is found across Africa with a range covering AF sc, se, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Crested Barbet belong to?
The Crested Barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii) belongs to the Lybiidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Crested Barbet eat?
The Crested Barbet is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Crested Barbet migrate?
The Crested Barbet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Crested Barbet endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Crested Barbet make?
1 real field recording of the Crested Barbet — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Crested Barbet's range?
The Crested Barbet has a mapped global range of about 3.1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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