Photo: Nigel Voaden from UK / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-backed Barbet
Pogonornis minor
Black-backed Barbet (Pogonornis minor) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Africa.
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The Black-backed Barbet (Pogonornis minor) is a member of the Lybiidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 46.7 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 Pogonornis
- Species minor
Quick facts
- Weight
- 46.7 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Lybiidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-backed Barbet is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-backed Barbet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-backed Barbet (Pogonornis minor) is a member of the Lybiidae family, within the order Piciformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF sc, wc.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 46.7 g, with a wing length of about 9 cm and a tail of around 6.5 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 750,000 km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-backed Barbet?
The Black-backed Barbet is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 46.7 g.
Where does the Black-backed Barbet live?
The Black-backed Barbet is found across Africa with a range covering AF sc, wc, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-backed Barbet belong to?
The Black-backed Barbet (Pogonornis minor) belongs to the Lybiidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Black-backed Barbet eat?
The Black-backed Barbet is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Black-backed Barbet migrate?
The Black-backed Barbet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-backed 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.
How large is the Black-backed Barbet's range?
The Black-backed Barbet has a mapped global range of about 750,000 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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