Yellow-breasted Barbet

Yellow-breasted Barbet Trachyphonus margaritatus

Bilen, Ethiopia

23 January 2014

    African barbets in general are spectacular, perhaps none more so than Yellow-breasted Barbet. We saw this species on only a few days and even then it was not plentiful. It typically frequents rough terrain, acacia woodland, wadis and sandy plains where termite mounds provide nesting sites. It feeds primarily on a wide range of insectivorous prey including species as large as mantids, locusts and grasshoppers.

White-headed Buffalo Weaver

White-headed Buffalo Weaver Dinemellia dinemelli

Bilen, Ehtiopia

23 January 2015

    We saw this handsome species on numerous occasions during our journey through Ethiopia and it was never shy around human settlement. It forages on the ground for insects, especially beetles and butterflies. Breeding pairs are monogamous and build their nest together.