Yellow-fronted tinkerbird
The yellow-fronted tinkerbird (Pogoniulus chrysoconus) is a small African barbet formerly known as yellow-fronted tinker barbet. It is sometimes considered conspecific with its southern counterpart, the red-fronted tinkerbird, Pogoniulus pusillus. Barbets are near passerine birds with bristles around the base of the bill and a world-wide tropical distribution.
Yellow-fronted tinkerbird | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Piciformes |
Family: | Lybiidae |
Genus: | Pogoniulus |
Species: | P. chrysoconus |
Binomial name | |
Pogoniulus chrysoconus (Temminck, 1832) | |
Range and habitat
The yellow-fronted tinkerbird is a widespread and frequently common resident breeder in much of Africa south of the Sahara Desert. It is associated with dry open woodland and scrub.
Description
The yellow-fronted tinkerbird is approximately 11 cm (4.3 in) in length. It is plump, with a short neck, large head, and short tail. The adult has black upperparts heavily streaked with yellow and white. Its head has a strong black and white pattern, with a yellow forecrown spot. The underparts and rump are lemon yellow. Both sexes are similar in appearance, but young birds have a differentiating dark crown that lacks the distinct yellow spot.
Breeding
![](../I/m/Pogoniulus_chrysoconus%2C_aktiewe_nesholte%2C_Elandsfontein%2C_b.jpg)
The species nests in tree holes and lays two or three eggs.
Vocalizations
At about 100 repetitions per minute, the yellow-fronted tinkerbird's call is a fast tink-tink-tink-tink. Many barbets perch prominently, but, unlike their larger relatives, the smaller tinkerbirds sing from cover and are more frequently heard than seen.
Diet
The yellow-fronted tinkerbird eats insects and fruit. Mistletoe fruits (Tapinanthus spp.) are swallowed whole. The sticky seeds are regurgitated and wiped off on nearby branches. Across their distribution range, yellow-fronted tinkerbirds are the most important disperser of mistletoes.[2]
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pogoniulus chrysoconus. |
- BirdLife International (2012). "Pogoniulus chrysoconus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- S.K.B. Godschalk (1985) Feeding behaviour of avian dispersers of mistletoe fruit in the Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, South Africa, South African Journal of Zoology, 20:3, 136-146, DOI: 10.1080/02541858.1985.11447926
- Birds of The Gambia by Barlow, Wacher and Disley, ISBN 1-873403-32-1
External links
- Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds