Crowned Hornbill
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| Crowned Hornbill | ||||||||||||||
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| Tockus alboterminatus (Büttikofer, 1889) |
The Crowned Hornbill, Tockus alboterminatus is an African hornbill. It is a medium sized bird, with a length between 50 to 54 cm, and it is characterized by its white belly, black back and wings. The tips of the long tail feathers are white.
The Crowned Hornbill can be distinguished from the similar Bradfield's Hornbill by its shorter beak, which presents a stocky casque on the upper mandible. In females, the casque is smaller. The eyes are yellow and the beak is red.
The Crowned Hornbill is a common resident of the coastal and riverine forests of southern (only eastern coast) to northeastern Africa. It forages mainly in trees, where it feeds in insects (often caught on flight), small rodents and frogs, seeds and fruits. This hornbill species can be seen in flocks, usually in the dry season. 4 to 5 white eggs are incubated for 25-30 days; the juveniles remain with both parents for about 8 weeks.
References
- Gordon Lindsay Maclean - Robert's Birds of South Africa, 6th Edition ISBN 0620175834