Gymnobucco peli
The Bristle-nosed Barbet (Gymnobucco peli) is a distinctive, medium-sized African barbet, typically measuring 17-18 cm in length and weighing between 50-65 grams. Its plumage is predominantly sooty black, appearing uniformly dark in the field, which contrasts sharply with its striking bare greyish facial skin around the eyes and nostrils. The species earns its common name from the stiff, forward-pointing bristle-like feathers that protrude above its nostrils, a unique field mark that aids ide...
Primarily inhabits dense, lowland evergreen rainforests, secondary growth, and forest edge, often venturing into adjacent clearings or plantations. Found at elevations typically below 1,000 meters.
Mainly frugivorous, feeding heavily on figs and other soft fruits, supplemented by a significant intake of insects, particularly during the breeding season.
The Bristle-nosed Barbet is a highly social and diurnal species, often found in large, noisy colonies of up to several dozen individuals. Foraging is conducted primarily in the upper canopy, where birds glean fruits and insects, often in mixed-species flocks. They exhibit a unique colonial nestin...
The Bristle-nosed Barbet is widely distributed across West and Central Africa, inhabiting a broad band of lowland tropical rainforests. Its breeding range extends from Sierra Leone and Liberia in the west, eastward through Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo (rarely), Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Repu...
Least Concern
- The Bristle-nosed Barbet is one of the very few barbet species worldwide that nests colonially, a trait more common in other bird families like weavers or swallows. - Its distinctive 'bristles' are actually modified, stiff feathers, not true vibrissae like those of mammals. - These barbets can ...