Acacia Pied Barbet (Tricholaema leucomelas) [XC347121]
by Peter Boesman from Bushberg Guestfarm, Namibia (call)
Acacia Pied Barbet (Tricholaema leucomelas) [XC347120]
by Peter Boesman from Bushberg Guestfarm, Namibia (call)
Subspecies
Forms a superspecies with Red-fronted Barbet (Tricholaema diademata) and Miombo Pied Barbet (Tricholaema frontata), and all have in the past been treated as conspecific. All respond strongly to playback of each other's song. Occasionally interbreeds with Miombo Pied Barbet (Tricholaema frontata) in southern Zambia. Fairly closely related also to Spot-flanked Barbet (Tricholaema lacrymosa). Species name sometimes erroneously spelt leucomelan, leucomelaena or leucomelaina, but original leucomelas must stand, as being non-Latinized Greek.
Proposed subspecies namaqua (western South Africa) included within leucomelas, nkatiensis (northern Botswana) within centralis, and zuluensis (south-eastern Zimbabwe south to Natal) within affinis.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
centralis (Roberts, 1932) - Angola, extreme south-western Zambia and western Zimbabwe, south to southern Namibia, northern Cape Province and western Natal.
affinis (Shelley, 1880) - Eastern Zimbabwe and south-western Mozambique, south to eastern Cape Province, eastern and northern Lesotho and northern Natal.
leucomelas (Boddaert, 1783) - Central, southern and south-western Cape Province.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet