The White-eared Barbet ranges from Tanzania and Kenya south to Mozambique, eastern Zimbabwe, and KwaZulu-Natal, using moist woodland and forest.
Its upperparts are brown to chocolate, with a white belly and a broad white stripe above the eye. The heavy bill is black.
It mainly eats fruit, especially figs, in the tree canopy, and also takes insects such as grasshoppers and cicadas. Helpers may assist the breeding pair with nesting.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.