Trachyphonus vaillantii
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The crested barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii) ('trachys'=rough, 'phone'=voice, sound') is a sub-Saharan bird in the Lybiidae family. Its specific name commemorates François Levaillant, a famed French naturalist. Two subspecies are recognized, with T. v. nobilis usually included in the nominate subspecies. The subspecies are distinguished by subtle differences in speckling, body size and color intensity. Individual variation is typical however, besides being paler in drier regions, and richer in colour in wetter areas.
Trachyphonus vaillantii vaillantii — occurs commonly from Central to Southern Africa Trachyphonus vaillantii suahelicus — to the north and east of the nominate, Angola, DRC in Central Africa, to Tanzania and Mozambique in East Africa
With its thick bill and very colourful plumage the crested barbet is unmistakable. This small bird has a speckled yellow and red face with a small black crest. The belly is yellow with red speckles, wings are black with white specks and it has a broad black band on its neck. Yellow head and body with black and white feathers, red markings on end of body, its colour blends well in the bush. They have a distinct... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 5 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 7 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 9 | Liwonde National Park | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 10 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 11 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 12 | Mikumi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 13 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 14 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 15 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 16 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 17 | Lower Zambezi National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 18 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 19 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 20 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 21 | Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harare | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 2 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Lusaka | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 5 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honolulu Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Barbet sighting in Ruaha National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 242nd most-seen of the 276 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Barbet in Ruaha National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months. That is one of Ruaha National Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain against 180 mm in January.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Crested Barbet sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
18th of 21
Of the 21 parks where we can rate Crested Barbet sightings, Ruaha National Park ranks 18th at under 5%. The best odds are in Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe, about 60%), Kruger National Park (South Africa, about 50%) and uMkhuze Game Reserve (South Africa, about 50%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Crested Barbet is recorded against all the birds logged in Ruaha National Park (7 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.
