This barbet is normally almost restricted to mature miombo woodland in south-central Africa. A paper reports a pair at an isolated site in Republic of the Congo and one captured bird there with more yellow underparts than southern specimens.
One adult captured at the Republic of the Congo site had a red forecrown and pronounced bill-tooth, with more yellow on the throat, chin, and belly than specimens farther south.
It is almost exclusively associated with mature miombo (Brachystegia) woodland. In an exceptional 2005–2006 record, a pair was repeatedly seen in Loudetia grassland with scattered trees, feeding on seeds, fruits, and invertebrates.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.