Stactolaema leucotis
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The white-eared barbet (Stactolaema leucotis) is a species of bird in the family Lybiidae (African barbets). It is found in Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Size is 17–18 cm. Weight 48–63 g. Dark brown woodland barbet with white belly and dark head; eyes brown with grey-black orbital skin, legs and feet black to grey-brown, with grey soles, and black bill. The amount of white on the face, rump, and wings varies geographically, but there is always a white stripe behind the eye. Sexes alike. Immature blacker than adult.
Highland forest and moist primary and secondary forest and some forest edge, also nearby gardens and plantations where fruiting trees present, and where dead trees and limbs are available for excavation; appears able to use Eucalyptus plantations in some areas, including for breeding, provided some native trees and understory remain. In Malawi, can be found up to elevations of 2600 m in the north and to at least 1600 m in the south, often on forested slopes.
Diet comprises fruits, including figs, guavas, pawpaws, mangoes, juniper, Celtis gomphophylla, and other berries. Also... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 7 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a White-eared Barbet sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 954 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 10th most-seen of the 351 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May, July and October
In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a White-eared Barbet in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against about 30% in March, the lowest month.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-eared Barbet sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 7 parks where we can rate White-eared Barbet sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Arusha National Park (Tanzania, about 50%) and Meru National Park (Kenya, about 10%).
Same family: Lybiidae
The closest relatives of the White-eared Barbet that you can see in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (family Lybiidae, African Barbets) are Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird (about 50%), Black-collared Barbet (about 20%) and Southern Red-fronted Tinkerbird (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-eared Barbet is recorded against all the birds logged in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (954 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
