Trachyphonus vaillantii

This is my mother’s favourite bird and I have always known it as the “rag bag” bird, because of its patchy appearance.

My best experience with this iconic barbet took place in March 2012 with Skye Hartog in the Kruger National Park. We were driving back from Pretoriuskop and spotted a barbet in the road ahead of us. What made this sighting remarkable is that this particular barbet had caught the biggest caterpillar I have ever seen and was determined to hold onto its prey. We watched as it struggled to keep its grip and then were amazed as it flew away with the “monster worm”.