ACACIA PIED BARBET

Tricholaema leucomelas
Bonthoutkapper (Afrikaans) 

 
HABITAT
Found in the higher northern and western parts of KwaZulu-Natal, in acacia savannah, riverine scrub, gardens, orchards and farmlands.

TYPE
This is a medium to small barbet fairly black and white as its name suggests. The forehead is bright red. A broad black stripe runs over its head, through its eye and from its throat to its belly. It has a white eyebrow and its underparts are white. Its back is black narrowly banded with yellow. The eyes are brown and the bill, legs and feet are blackish.

FOOD
Its food consists of fruit and nectar, some seed pods and fat off bones or on feeding trays.

BREEDING
Pied Barbets nest in holes in soft or dead wood, fairly low down on the trunk. They nest from August to April in KwaZulu-Natal, usually producing 3 eggs which are white in colour.

STATUS
A common resident.