Stactolaema leucotis (White-eared barbet) 

Witoorhoutkapper [Afrikaans]; iNtunjana [Zulu]; Witoor-baardvogel [Dutch]; Barbican oreillard [French]; Weißohr-bartvogel [German]; Barbaças-de-orelhas-brancas [Portuguese]

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Deuterostomia > Chordata > Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates)  > Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) > Teleostomi (teleost fish) > Osteichthyes (bony fish) > Class: Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) > Stegocephalia (terrestrial vertebrates) > Tetrapoda (four-legged vertebrates) > Reptiliomorpha > Amniota > Reptilia (reptiles) > Romeriida > Diapsida > Archosauromorpha > Archosauria > Dinosauria (dinosaurs) > Saurischia > Theropoda (bipedal predatory dinosaurs) > Coelurosauria > Maniraptora > Aves (birds) > Order: Piciformes > Family: Lybiidae

White-eared barbet, Mkuze Game Reserve, South Africa. [photo Johann Grobbelaar ©]	White-eared barbet, Mtunzini, South Africa. [photo Trevor Hardaker ©]

The White-eared barbet occurs in a band extending from Tanzania and Kenya to Mozambique and KwaZulu-Natal, where it is locally common in moist woodland. It mainly eats fruit, especially Ficus (wild figs), foraging in tree canopies. Insects such as grasshoppers and cicadas largely make up the rest of its diet. It is a cooperative breeder, with the breeding pair and often helpers excavating the nest, which is a chamber dug into the underside of dead branches. It lays 3-6, usually 4-5 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes and the nest helpers, for 14-18 days. In one study, the chicks stayed in the nest for about 39 days, and were fed about 64% insects and 36% fruit (of which 99% is Ficus).

Distribution and habitat

It occurs in a band extending from Tanzania and Kenya to Mozambique and KwaZulu-Natal. In southern Africa, it is locally common in Zimbabwe and Mozambique's moist Brachystegia (miombo) and Uapaca (mahobohobo) woodland, and KwaZulu-Natal's moist lowland forest.

Call

Recorded by June Stannard, Ndumu Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal 1967, [© Transvaal Museum]

Food 

Mainly eats fruit, especially Ficus (wild figs), foraging in tree canopies. Insects such as grasshoppers and cicadas largely make up the rest of its diet. The following food items have been recorded in its diet:

• Fruits
  • Ficus (wild figs)
  • Diospyros natalensis (Small-leaved jackal-berry)
  • Bridelia micrantha (Mitzeerie)
  • Antidesma venosum (Tassel-berry)
  • Apodytes dimidiata (White-pear)
  • Scutia myrtina (Cat-thorn)
  • Sideroxylon inerme (White milkwood)
  • Mimusops caffra (Red milkwood)
  • Harpephyllum caffra (Wild-plum)
  • Dovyalis longispina (Kei-apple)
• Insects
  • Termite alates
• Nectar of Aloe marlothii (Mountain Aloe)
• The chicks diet:
  • Orthoptera (crickets and grasshoppers)
  • Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies)
  • cicadas
  • cockroaches
  • wasps
  • hornets

Breeding

• It is a monogamous cooperative breeder, with the breeding pair being helped by 1-6 helpers.
• The nest is usually excavated by the breeding pair, sometimes accompanied by helpers. It consists of a chamber dug into the underside of dead branches of trees, mainly Ficus (wild fig), but also Erythrina (coral-tree) and Syzygium (water-berries).
• Egg-laying season is from August-March, peaking from October-December.
• It lays 3-6, usually 4-5 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes and the nest helpers, for 14-18 days.
• The chicks stay in the nest for about 39 days, and are fed about 64% insects and 36% fruit (of which 99% is Ficus). The following food items have been recorded in the chicks diet:
  • Fruit
    • Mainly Ficus (wild figs)
  • Insects
    • Grasshoppers
    • Locusts
    • Crickets
    • Dragonflies
    • Cicadas
    • Cockroaches
    • Wasps
    • Hornets

Threats

Not threatened.

References

• Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ and Ryan PG (eds) 2005. Roberts - Birds of southern Africa, VIIth ed. The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town.