| D'Arnaud's barbet | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Female, Serengeti National Park | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Piciformes |
| Family: | Lybiidae |
| Genus: | Trachyphonus |
| Species: | T. darnaudii |
| Binomial name | |
| Trachyphonus darnaudii | |
| | |
D'Arnaud's barbet (Trachyphonus darnaudii) is a species of bird in the family Lybiidae that is found in East African. Barbets and toucans are a group of birds with a worldwide tropical distribution. The barbets get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills.
D'Arnaud's barbet was formally described in 1847 as Micropogon darnaudii by the French naturalists Florent Prévost and Marc Athanase Parfait Œillet des Murs. [2] The species was named in honour of the French explorer and engineer Joseph Pons d'Arnaud. [3] The type locality is the Kordofan region of central Sudan. [4] D'Arnaud's barbet is now one of four species placed in the genus Trachyphonus that was introduced 1821 by the Italian naturalist Camillo Ranzani. [5]
Four subspecies are recognised: [5]
The subspecies T. d. usambiro has sometimes been considered as a separate species, the Usambiro barbet. [6]
D'Arnaud's barbet is a small East African bird that feeds on insects, fruits, and seeds. It grows to about eight inches, and is equally at home in trees or on the ground. A vertical tunnel two to three feet into the ground with a sideways and upward turn leads to the nest chamber. In a striking dance the male and female face each on nearby twigs and twitch, bob and sing like mechanical toys.
They vocalize in groups, starting with a specific vocalization described as a chewp noise, often simultaneously raising and fanning the tail. [7]