The Usambiro barbet (Trachyphonus usambiro) is a bird in the family Lybiidae, the African barbets, found in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. Formerly treated as a subspecies of d'Arnaud's barbet, it was recognised as a distinct species by the International Ornithologists' Union in 2021. First described in 1908 by Oscar Neumann from specimens collected in Usambiro, Tanzania, it differs from d'Arnaud's barbet in having a longer wing, a shorter tail and a darker bill. The species inhabits open savanna, grassland, shrubland and pasture habitats, including Maasai Mara in Kenya and the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, at elevations of 1,100 to 2,100 metres (3,600 to 6,900 ft). It likely feeds on seeds, fruit and insects, and is listed as a Least-concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Usambiro barbet has a yellow head with black spots, black wings with white spots, and a yellow breast marked by a dark breast band. Its belly is pale yellow with a reddish vent, and the sexes are similar in appearance. This Usambiro barbet was photographed on a branch in the Serengeti National Park.
Photographer: Giles Laurent
