D'Arnaud's barbet (''Trachyphonus darnaudii'') is a species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

in the family

Lybiidae Lybiidae is a family (biology), family of birds also known as the African barbets. There are 44 species ranging from the type genus ''Lybius'' of forest interior to the tinkerbirds (''Pogoniulus'') of forest and scrubland. They are found througho ...

. Barbets and

toucans Toucans (, ) are Neotropical birds in the family Ramphastidae. They are most closely related to the Toucan barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often colorful bills. The family includes five genera and over 40 different species. ...

are a group of near passerine birds with a worldwide tropical distribution. The barbets get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills. Four geographical races (''darnaudii'', ''böhmi'', ''emini'' and ''usambiro'') have been recorded. The 2021 taxonomic update to the IOC World Bird List upgraded the usambiro

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

to species status as Usambiro barbet / ''Trachyphonus usambiro''. D'Arnaud's barbet is a small East African bird that feeds on insects, fruits, and seeds. It grows to about eight inches, and is equally at home in trees or on the ground. A vertical tunnel two to three feet into the ground with a sideways and upward turn leads to the nest chamber. In a striking dance the male and female face each on nearby twigs and twitch, bob and sing like mechanical toys. The species was named in honour of the French explorer and engineer Joseph Pons d'Arnaud. They vocalize in groups, starting with a specific vocalization described as a ''chewp'' noise, often simultaneously raising and fanning the tail.

References

Trachyphonus Birds of East Africa Birds described in 1847 Taxa named by Florent Prévost {{Piciformes-stub