Lybius leucocephalus
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The white-headed barbet (Lybius leucocephalus) is a species of bird in the family Lybiidae. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
This species of African barbet comprises several races distinguished by different duetting song patters but all have a raucous greeting ceremony. It is the only barbet species to use simultaneous singing during a duet. This species is one of the largest in this genus at 18–19.5 cm (7.1–7.7 in) in length. It is a black and white type of barbet that has a stubby neck and a heavy-toothed bill. It is found in open woodland areas that are close to water and cultivation. It utilizes fig and jacaranda trees to find food and to excavate nests. These birds are also very social and live in small groups. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 4 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 6 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Lake Manyara National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 8 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 9 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 10 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 11 | Virunga National Park | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| 12 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 13 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 14 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 15 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 16 | Kibale National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nairobi | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-headed Barbet sighting in Lake Mburo National Park on a given day, based on 157 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 113th most-seen of the 362 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a White-headed Barbet in Lake Mburo National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, the lowest month.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-headed Barbet sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 16
Of the 16 parks where we can rate White-headed Barbet sightings, Lake Mburo National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 30%) and Kidepo Valley National Park (Uganda, about 20%).
Same genus: Lybius
The closest relatives of the White-headed Barbet that you can see in Lake Mburo National Park (genus Lybius, Typical African Barbets) are Double-Toothed Barbet (about 20%), Black-collared Barbet (about 10%) and Red-faced Barbet (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-headed Barbet is recorded against all the birds logged in Lake Mburo National Park (157 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.
