The Green barbet occurs in isolated populations in Africa,
only one of which is in southern Africa - in the Ungoye forest, KwaZulu-Natal.
Due its extremely localized distribition, it is listed as Threatened in
southern Africa. Its diet is almost exclusively made up of fruit, especially
figs, occasionally eating insects. Both sexes excavate the nest, which is usually a small chamber dug into a
dead, decaying upright tree trunk. With one breeding pair, the female
produced 5 eggs which were incubated by both sexes for 18 days. These 5 eggs
hatched chicks, staying in the nest for 29 days.
Distribution and habitat
Occurs in a series of isolated
populations, from Tanzania to South Africa, where it can be only be found in the Ungoye Forest, KwaZulu-Natal. This area consists mostly of coastal scarp forest
with a large amount of fig (Ficus) trees.
It's diet is almost exclusively made up of
fruit, especially figs, occasionally eating insects. The following food items have been recorded in
its diet:
Both sexes excavate the nest, which is usually a small chamber dug into a
dead, decaying upright tree trunk.
Egg-laying season is from November-January.
With one breeding pair, the female produced 5 eggs which were incubated
by both sexes for 18 days.
These 5 eggs hatched chicks, who where fed regularly by both parents.
They stayed in the nest for 29 days, after which they dispersed.
Threats
Vulnerable, due its isolated populations in Africa.
In South Africa, it occurs only in the Ongoye forest, where it is actually quite
common. Nevertheless, protection of this forest's fruit trees is crucial to the
survival of this species.
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.
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