Birds Posters
Hornbills
Hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia.
They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly-coloured and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandible.
Both the common English and the scientific name of the family refer to the shape of the bill, "buceros" being "cow horn" in Greek.
In addition, they possess a two-lobed kidney. Hornbills are the only birds in which the first two neck vertebrae (the axis and atlas) are fused together;
This probably provides a more stable platform for carrying the bill. The family is omnivorous, feeding on fruit and small animals.
They are monogamous breeders nesting in natural cavities in trees and sometimes cliffs.
A number of species of hornbill are threatened with extinction, mostly insular species with small ranges.
Great hornbills are arboreal and live mainly in wet, tall, evergreen forests. Old-growth trees that extend beyond the height of the canopy are preferred for nesting.
Great hornbills are fairly large, ranging from 95 to 120 cm in length and featuring a wingspan of 151 to 178 cm. On average, they weigh 3 kg.
They are vividly colored and easily recognizable. The body, head, and wings are primarily black; the abdomen and neck are white.
The tail is white and is crossed by a subterminal black band.
Northern ground hornbills (Bucorvus abyssinicus) are found in the Ethiopian region across a wide area of north-central Africa,
from southern Mauritania and Guinea in the west to Ethiopia, northwest Somalia, northeast Kenya, and northern Uganda in the east.
The two species of ground hornbills, Bucorvus abyssinicus and Bucorvus leadbeateri differ from other hornbills in having an extra neck vertebra (giving them a total of 15),
longer legs, thick upper eyelid lashes, and a larger body size. The longer legs adapt them well to their primarily terrestrial foraging method, while other hornbills are mainly arboreal.
Black-and-white-casqued hornbills are found in forests and savannas throughout West and Central Africa.
Black-and-white-casqued hornbills are fairly large, mainly black hornbills with white lower backs and rumps, upper and under tail-coverts, thighs, bellies, and vents.
The central pair of rectrices is all black, while the rest of the tail feathers are black-based and extensively white distally.