Lybiidae

Lybiidae is a family of birds also known as the African barbets. There are 44 species ranging from the type genus Lybius of forest interior to the tinkerbirds (Pogoniulus) of forest and scrubland. They are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, with the exception of the far south-west of South Africa.

The African terrestrial barbets, Trachyphoninae, range from the southern Sahara to South Africa. Members of one genus, Trachyphonus, are the most open-country species of barbets. The subfamily Lybiinae contains the African arboreal barbets. There are 37 species of Lybiinae in 6 genera.

Taxonomy

The phylogenetic relationship between the African barbets and the eight other families in the order Piciformes is shown in the cladogram below. The number of species in each family is taken from the list maintained by Frank Gill, Pamela C. Rasmussen and David Donsker on behalf of the International Ornithological Committee (IOC).

Description and ecology

Most African barbets are about long, plump-looking, with large heads, and their heavy bill is fringed with bristles; the tinkerbirds are smaller, ranging down to the red-rumped tinkerbird (Pogoniulus atroflavus) at and .

They are mainly solitary birds, eating insects and fruit. Figs and numerous other species of fruiting tree and bush are visited. An individual barbet may feed on as many as 60 different species in its range. They will also visit plantations and take cultivated fruit and vegetables. Fruit is eaten whole and indigestible material such as seed pits regurgitated later (often before singing). Regurgitation does not usually happen in the nest (as happens with toucans), although tinkerbirds do place sticky mistletoe seeds around the entrances of their nests, possibly to deter predators. Like other barbets, they are thought to be important agents in seed dispersal in tropical forests.

As well as taking fruit, African barbets also take arthropod prey, gleaned from the branches and trunks of trees. A wide range of insects are taken, including ants, cicadas, dragonflies, crickets, locusts, beetles, moths and mantids. Scorpions and centipedes are also taken, and a few species will take small vertebrates such as lizards, frogs and geckos.

The precise nesting details of many African barbets are not yet known, although peculiarly among the Piciformes, some sociable species will nest in riverbanks or termite nests. Like many members of their order, Piciformes, their nests are in holes bored into a tree, and they usually lay between 2 and 4 eggs (except for the yellow-breasted barbet which lays up to 6), incubated for 13–15 days. Nesting duties are shared by both parents.

There has been generally little interference by humans. Some of the species which require primary woodland are declining due to deforestation, occasionally to the benefit of close relatives. For example, the loss of highland woods in Kenya has seen the moustached tinkerbird almost disappear and the red-fronted tinkerbird expand its range.

Systematics

File:Flammenkopfbartvogelcele4.jpg

Red-and-yellow barbet
Trachyphonus erythrocephalus

Subfamily Lybiinae

Image	Genus	Living Species
File:Gray-throated Barbet - Kakamega Kenya 06 1744.jpg	Gymnobucco Bonaparte, 1850	Naked-faced barbet, Gymnobucco calvus Bristle-nosed barbet, Gymnobucco peli Sladen's barbet, Gymnobucco sladeni Grey-throated barbet, Gymnobucco bonapartei
File:White-eared Barbet RWD.jpg	Stactolaema Marshall & Marshall, 1870	White-eared barbet, Stactolaema leucotis Anchieta's barbet, Stactolaema anchietae Whyte's barbet, Stactolaema whytii Green barbet, Stactolaema olivacea
File:Red-fronted Tinkerbird 2010 10 08 11998.jpg	Pogoniulus Lafresnaye, 1842 – tinkerbirds	Speckled tinkerbird, Pogoniulus scolopaceus Western tinkerbird, Pogoniulus coryphaea Moustached tinkerbird, Pogoniulus leucomystax Green tinkerbird, Pogoniulus simplex Red-rumped tinkerbird, Pogoniulus atroflavus Yellow-throated tinkerbird, Pogoniulus subsulphureus Yellow-rumped tinkerbird, Pogoniulus bilineatus White-chested tinkerbird, Pogoniulus makawai Yellow-fronted tinkerbird, Pogoniulus chrysoconus Red-fronted tinkerbird, Pogoniulus pusillus
File:Yellow-spotted Barbet - Ghana S4E1896 (16382665796) (cropped).jpg	Buccanodon G.R. Gray, 1855 – yellow-spotted barbets	Yellow-spotted barbet, Buccanodon duchaillui
File:Tricholaema leucomelas.jpg	Tricholaema Verreaux & Verreaux, 1855	Hairy-breasted barbet, Tricholaema hirsuta Red-fronted barbet, Tricholaema diademata Miombo pied barbet, Tricholaema frontata Acacia pied barbet, Tricholaema leucomelas Spot-flanked barbet, Tricholaema lacrymosa Black-throated barbet, Tricholaema melanocephala
File:Barbet Black-collared 2011 10 22 12 24 19 4658.jpg	Lybius Hermann, 1783	Banded barbet, Lybius undatus Vieillot's barbet, Lybius vieilloti White-headed barbet, Lybius leucocephalus Chaplin's barbet or Zambian barbet, Lybius chaplini Red-faced barbet, Lybius rubrifacies Black-billed barbet, Lybius guifsobalito Black-collared barbet, Lybius torquatus
File:Lybius melanopterus Hamburg zoo 24.10.2012 (325).jpg	Pogonornis Billberg, 1828	Brown-breasted barbet, Pogonornis melanopterus Black-backed barbet, Pogonornis minor Double-toothed barbet, Pogonornis bidentatus Bearded barbet, Pogonornis dubius Black-breasted barbet, Pogonornis rolleti

Subfamily Trachyphoninae

Image	Genus	Living Species
File:Yellow-billed Barbet 113ND500 DSC2014.jpg	Trachylaemus Verreaux, J & Verreaux, É, 1851	Western yellow-billed barbet, Trachylaemus goffinii Eastern yellow-billed barbet, Trachylaemus purpuratus
File:Trachyphonus vaillantii -near Sand River Selous, Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania-8.jpg	Trachyphonus Ranzani, 1821	Crested barbet, Trachyphonus vaillantii Yellow-breasted barbet, Trachyphonus margaritatus Red-and-yellow barbet, Trachyphonus erythrocephalus D'Arnaud's barbet, Trachyphonus darnaudii Usambiro barbet, Trachyphonus usambiro

It is not entirely resolved whether the Early to Middle Miocene genus Capitonides from Europe belongs to this family or the Asian barbets (now Megalaimidae). Indeed, given that the prehistoric birds somewhat resembled a primitive toucan (without these birds' present autapomorphies), they might occupy a more basal position among the barbet-toucan clade altogether. On the other hand, they show some similarities to Trachyphonus in particular and have even been placed into this genus, but this move is not widely accepted.

"CMC 152", a distal carpometacarpus similar to that of barbets and found at the Middle Miocene locality of Grive-Saint-Alban (France) was considered to differ from Capitonides in the initial description, being closer to extant (presumably Old World) barbets. This fossil is sometimes lumped into Trachyphonus too; in this case it may have more merit.

Supposed fossil remains of Late Miocene Pogoniulus were found at Kohfidisch (Austria) but are not yet thoroughly studied. It is not clear whether they belong to the extant genus but given the late date this may well be so.

References

Sources cited

• Ballmann, Peter (1969): Les Oiseaux miocènes de la Grive-Saint-Alban (Isère) [The Miocene birds of Grive-Saint-Alban (Isère)]. Geobios 2: 157–204. [French with English abstract] (HTML abstract)
• Mlíkovský, Jirí (2002): Cenozoic Birds of the World, Part 1: Europe. Ninox Press, Prague. Template:ISBN PDF fulltext

Further reading

• Short, L.L. & Horne, J.F.M. (2002): Family Capitonidae. In: del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew & Sargatal, Jordi (eds.) Handbook of the Birds of the World (Volume 7: Jacamars to Woodpeckers). Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Template:ISBN