Least Concern Birds

Black-collared Barbet

Lybius torquatus

Black-collared Barbet feeds on fruits and insects in African savannas and farmland edges.

Scientific name	Lybius torquatus
Swahili name	Kwakwa-mwekundu
Conservation status	Least Concern
Class	Aves
Order	Piciformes
Family	Lybiidae
Size	Male: approximately 30-35 grams; Female: approximately 28-33 grams

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How to identify

Distinct black ring-shaped feathers on head and neck; body plumage mainly bright red and yellow; short and stout bill suitable for feeding on fruits and insects; bare blue skin around eyes; tail short and broad

Habitat

Open woodland savanna, bushland, open forests, and edges of farmland

Diet

Omnivorous, primarily feeding on fruits, berries, and insects, also preys on small invertebrates

When it is active

Diurnal, frequently active during the day, especially at dawn and dusk

Where it lives

Distributed in southern and eastern Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; common in the Maasai Mara region of Kenya

How to spot it

Look for it at dawn or dusk in open woodland savanna and bush edges, note its bright colors and unique call, sometimes perches on wires or branches

Photography tips

Use a telephoto lens to capture its vivid plumage and bill features, choose well-lit mornings or evenings, keep background simple to highlight bird’s colors

Threats

Habitat loss and fragmentation, impacts from agricultural expansion and urbanization

Similar species

Red-billed Barbet (Lybius rubrifacies), distinguished by red bill and absence of distinct black ring on head; Yellow-collared Barbet (Lybius leucocephalus), lacks black ring on neck

📖 how to spot the black collared barbet on safari