Birdwatching offers so much more than just the satisfaction of identifying different species. As this footage shows, there are near-constant dynamics at play; the perfect way to pass the time between mammal sightings.
Trevor Lagerwall submitted this amusing footage to Latest Sightings. He filmed the action while visiting South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
Creator’s paint rag
As we join Trevor at the sighting, we see one of the most colourful birds in the African bushveld. It is a crested barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii)
Guides often tell their guests that as the creator was painting all the birds, the crested barbet kept on making demands. Frustrated, the creator used the bird to wipe their paintbrush, giving it the multi-coloured plumage it has to this day.
A diet too good to share
Subsequently, we see the bird foraging in the leaf litter. Barbets live on a mixed diet of fruits, seeds, insects, and the occasional mouse.
As you can see, they have a heavy bill, which they use to chip away bark when looking for food. And it seems he has found a morsel that is too good to share.
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Banana-billed competitor
Moments later, another distinctive bushveld resident lands nearby. It is a southern yellow-billed hornbill (Tockus leucomelas), easily identified by its long, curved beak.
Since barbets and hornbills share the same habitat and diet, they are direct competitors. Being the larger bird, it assumes it is dominant.
Accordingly, it hops towards the barbet, intent on stealing the tasty morsel.
No you don’t!
However, just as the barbet’s feathers are an explosion of colour, so too is its temperament one of bad attitude. Consequently, it rushes towards the larger bird.
Unsurprisingly, this is not how the hornbill thought things would play out. Alarmed, it leaps out of the barbet’s path, narrowly avoiding a nasty peck.
If birds had expressions, the look on the barbet’s face suggests victorious smugness.
But can it dine in peace? As it turns out… not for long.
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Challenged by a relative
Suddenly, the bird looks to the canopy as a close relative drops in. It is a black-collared barbet (Lybius torquatus). Having seen what just happened to the hornbill, it is hoping for better luck.
As it descends, the crested cousin wastes no time meeting the challenge. No sooner does the collared touch the ground than the crested slams into it.
Consequently, there is a blur of feathers as they fight.
To no one’s surprise, the feisty barbet sees off the challenger. No family allegiance here.
Home security
Subsequently, we discover a possible reason for the barbet’s aggression. Flying up into a nearby tree, we see it enter a large fissure in a branch.
It seems likely the barbet has nestlings inside. As such, it is only protecting its young and the resources it needs to raise them.
