Photo: Joseph Smit / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-throated Barbet
Tricholaema melanocephala
Black-throated Barbet (Tricholaema melanocephala) — 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 Black-throated Barbet (Tricholaema melanocephala) is a member of the Lybiidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 20.4 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 Tricholaema
- Species melanocephala
Quick facts
- Weight
- 20.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Lybiidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-throated Barbet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-throated Barbet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-throated Barbet (Tricholaema melanocephala) is a member of the Lybiidae family, within the order Piciformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF e.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 20.4 g, with a wing length of about 6.6 cm and a tail of around 3.8 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 2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-throated Barbet?
The Black-throated Barbet is a small bird that weighs around 20.4 g.
Where does the Black-throated Barbet live?
The Black-throated Barbet is found across Africa with a range covering AF e, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Black-throated Barbet belong to?
The Black-throated Barbet (Tricholaema melanocephala) belongs to the Lybiidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Black-throated Barbet eat?
The Black-throated Barbet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-throated Barbet migrate?
The Black-throated Barbet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-throated 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 Black-throated Barbet make?
1 real field recording of the Black-throated 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 Black-throated Barbet's range?
The Black-throated Barbet has a mapped global range of about 2 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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