Gymnobucco calvus
The Naked-faced Barbet (Gymnobucco calvus) is a striking medium-sized barbet, typically measuring 17-19 cm (6.7-7.5 in) in length and weighing between 50-70 grams. Its plumage is predominantly dull, sooty black or dark brown, often with a subtle green or bronze sheen, particularly on the wings and mantle, providing camouflage within the forest canopy. The most distinctive field mark, and the origin of its common name, is its entirely bare, dark gray to black facial skin, which lacks feathers ...
It primarily inhabits lowland and submontane evergreen forests, including secondary growth, forest edges, clearings, and wooded cultivation, typically at elevations up to 1,800 meters (5,900 feet).
Its diet consists mainly of fruits, especially figs (Ficus species), supplemented with insects, including ants, beetles, and caterpillars.
Naked-faced Barbets are highly diurnal and exceptionally gregarious birds, often observed moving through the forest canopy in noisy flocks ranging from a dozen to over fifty individuals. Foraging is primarily arboreal, with birds gleaning fruits and insects from foliage and branches, often joinin...
The Naked-faced Barbet boasts an extensive distribution across West and Central Africa, inhabiting a broad band of tropical forests. Its breeding range spans from Sierra Leone and Liberia eastward through Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. Further east, it continues its presence into...
Least Concern
- The "Naked-faced" Barbet's bare facial skin is thought to be an adaptation for preventing sticky fruit pulp from clinging to feathers, aiding hygiene during its fruit-heavy diet. - Unlike many barbet species that are solitary or found in pairs, Naked-faced Barbets are highly gregarious, often f...