Photo: Steve Garvie from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Green Barbet
Cryptolybia olivacea
Green Barbet (Cryptolybia olivacea) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Africa.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Green Barbet (Cryptolybia olivacea) is a member of the Lybiidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 49.4 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 Cryptolybia
- Species olivacea
Quick facts
- Weight
- 49.4 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Lybiidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Green Barbet is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Green Barbet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Green Barbet (Cryptolybia olivacea) belongs to the Lybiidae family of the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF e, se.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 49.4 g, with a wing length of about 8.8 cm and a tail of around 5.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 155,000 km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Green Barbet?
The Green Barbet is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 49.4 g.
Where does the Green Barbet live?
The Green Barbet is found across Africa with a range covering AF e, se, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Green Barbet belong to?
The Green Barbet (Cryptolybia olivacea) belongs to the Lybiidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Green Barbet eat?
The Green Barbet is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Green Barbet migrate?
The Green Barbet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Green 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 Green Barbet's range?
The Green Barbet has a mapped global range of about 155,000 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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