A medium-sized barbet with uniformly white underparts, a black throat patch, a red forehead, and a striking yellow-and-white eyebrow. Pairs reside in semi-desert, savanna, and gardens, preferring thickets and more treed areas with suitable for nest cavities. Calls a distinctive melancholy “poooop” 6–7 times, often accompanied with a nasal, repeated “nyeeeeaar”. Miombo Barbet differs by lacking the dark throat patch and by having heavily-spotted underparts and a yellowish breast. The two species hybridize in southern Zambia.