Lybius leucocephalus
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
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 Meru National Park on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 147th 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 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, June and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a White-headed Barbet in Meru National Park on a given day, against about 10% in February–April, September and November–December, the lowest months. May and July–August have too few records to rate.
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.
4th of 16
Of the 16 parks where we can rate White-headed Barbet sightings, Meru National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 30%), Kidepo Valley National Park (Uganda, about 20%) and Lake Mburo National Park (Uganda, about 10%).
Same family: Lybiidae
The closest relatives of the White-headed Barbet that you can see in Meru National Park (family Lybiidae, African Barbets) are Red-and-yellow Barbet (about 20%), White-eared 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-headed 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.
