AVITOPIA - African Barbets

The family of African Barbets lives subsaharan Africa to South Africa. The African Barbets were recently separated from the extensive family of Barbets on the basis of DNA studies. Their body length ranges from 9 cm to 24 cm. The arrangement of the toes corresponds to that of the woodpecker, i.e. the 2nd and 3rd toes point forward, the other two backward. The beak is large and heavy and often has a saw on the edges. They live in different landscapes that include savannahs and rainforests. Their preferred food is fruits, especially figs. Most African bearded birds are monogamous and both parents participate in the breeding task. For the nests, caves are cut into the soft wood of dead trees or excavated in steep banks or termite mounds. The clutch size ranges from 1 to 7. After hatching, the young are fed with insects, and later fruits are added.