White-mantled Barbet

White-mantled Barbet, Joe Tobias

At a Glance

  • Scientific Name: Capito hypoleucus
  • Population: 2,500-10,000
  • IUCN Status: Vulnerable
  • Trend:  Decreasing
  • Habitat: Moist forests, pastures, and plantations
White-mantled Barbet map, NatureServe

White-mantled Barbet map, NatureServe

Barbets are related to toucans and woodpeckers. They all have "zygodactyl" feet, with two toes facing forward and two backward—an arrangement that helps tree-dwelling birds grasp branches. Barbets play a key role in tropical forests by consuming and dispersing seeds of fruit trees.

Found only in Colombia, the White-mantled Barbet's population is declining as a result of deforestation. It finds refuge in the Cerulean Warbler Conservation Corridor established by Fundación ProAves and ABC, a site that also provides winter habitat for Rose-breasted Grosbeak and other migrants.

 


Sign up for ABC's eNews to learn how you can help protect birds


White-mantled Barbet, Dusan Brinkhuizen

White-mantled Barbet by Dusan Brinkhuizen

White-mantled Barbets nest in tree cavities dug by breeding pairs. Their distinctive voice is a deep croak, repeated frequently for long periods.

Erin Lebbin, ABC's Assistant Director of Development, had the pleasure of seeing a pair of these charismatic birds at the El Paujil Reserve, also established by ProAves with support from ABC. She recalls: "We hiked uphill along a wet and muddy trail for one or two hours before arriving at the barbet's habitat. Once we found the birds, I was impressed with their loud and chattery song."

The White-mantled Barbet benefits from ABC's efforts to "bring back the birds." Conserving geographically linked habitats in places both north and south benefits migrants such as Cerulean Warbler and year-round residents like this barbet and the Gorgeted Wood-Quail.


Donate to support ABC's conservation mission!


More Birds Like This

Our 400+ detailed species profiles bring birds to life across the Americas with a focus on threats and conservation.

Baudo Guan, Su Li, Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  • Population: 7,000-21,000
  • Trend:  Decreasing
Wedge-tailed Shearwater by Herbert Fechter, Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  • Population: 5.2 million
  • Trend:  Decreasing
Red-cockaded Woodpecker by Keith Kennedy, Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  • Population: 15,000
  • Trend:  Decreasing
Cundinamarca Antpitta by Daniel J. Lebbin
  • Population: 330-800
  • Trend:  Decreasing