Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Encyclopedia
The Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill (Tockus leucomelas) is a Hornbill
found in southern Africa
. It is a medium sized bird, with length between 48 to 60 cm, characterized by a long yellow beak with a casque
(casque reduced in the female). The skin around the eyes and in the malar stripe is pinkish. The related Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill
from north-eastern Africa has blackish skin around the eyes.
They have a white belly, grey neck, and black back with abundant white spots and stripes. They feed mainly on the ground, where they forage for seeds, small insects, spiders and scorpions. Termites and ants are a preferred food source in the dry season.
Females lay 3 to 4 white eggs in their nest cavities and incubate them for about 25 days. Juveniles take about 45 days to mature. This hornbill is a common, widespread resident of the dry thorn fields and broad-leafed woodlands. Frequently they can be sighted along roads.
Hornbill
Hornbills 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-colored and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandible. Both the common English and the scientific name of the family...
found in southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
. It is a medium sized bird, with length between 48 to 60 cm, characterized by a long yellow beak with a casque
Casque
Casque can refer to:* French word for helmet* An enlargement on the upper mandible of the bill of some species of birds, including many hornbills*Hornbill ivory: the casque of the Helmeted Hornbill, collected as a decorative material...
(casque reduced in the female). The skin around the eyes and in the malar stripe is pinkish. The related Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill
The Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill , formerly Northern Yellow-billed Hornbill, is a species of hornbill in the Bucerotidae family. It is found in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. It resembles the Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill, but has blackish skin around...
from north-eastern Africa has blackish skin around the eyes.
They have a white belly, grey neck, and black back with abundant white spots and stripes. They feed mainly on the ground, where they forage for seeds, small insects, spiders and scorpions. Termites and ants are a preferred food source in the dry season.
Females lay 3 to 4 white eggs in their nest cavities and incubate them for about 25 days. Juveniles take about 45 days to mature. This hornbill is a common, widespread resident of the dry thorn fields and broad-leafed woodlands. Frequently they can be sighted along roads.