Stactolaema leucotis
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-eared Barbet sighting in Meru National Park on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 140th most-seen of the 243 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.
April and October–November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a White-eared Barbet in Meru National Park on a given day, against about 10% in June, September and December–March, the lowest months. Those are among Meru National Park's wettest months, with about 160 mm of rain a month against almost none in July. May and July–August have too few records to rate.
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.
3rd of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate White-eared Barbet sightings, Meru National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, about 50%) and Arusha National Park (Tanzania, about 50%).
Same family: Lybiidae
The closest relatives of the White-eared Barbet that you can see in Meru National Park (family Lybiidae, African Barbets) are Red-and-yellow Barbet (about 20%), White-headed Barbet (about 10%) and D'Arnaud's Barbet (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 Meru National Park (17 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.
