Black-spotted

Black-spotted Barbet 

(Capito niger)

Photographed at Discovery Cove, Orlando, FL     Mar 2016

These barbets are usually found in pairs or small flocks. It has a range in a contiguous region that is centered on the Guiana Highlands and the northeast Amazon in South America. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills. They are closely related to the Toucans. The American barbets are plump birds, with short necks and large heads. Most species are brightly colored. Most American barbet species inhabit lowland forest. Their diet is similar to African barbets: fruit and insects. Fruit is eaten whole and indigestible material such as seed pits regurgitated later. These birds do not migrate. They nest in tree holes dug by breeding pairs.

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