Zambia | 1978 | 10 Ngwee | Crowned Hornbill

 


Crowned hornbill 



The Crowned hornbill (Tockus alboterminatus) is a medium-sized African bird, 50–54 cm long, with a white belly, black back and wings, white-tipped tail feathers, yellow eyes, and a red beak with a prominent casque (smaller in females). It differs from Bradfield's hornbill by its shorter beak. Found in coastal and riverine forests of eastern to northeastern Africa, it feeds in trees on insects, small rodents, reptiles, seeds, and fruits, often forming flocks in the dry season. Breeding involves laying four to five eggs, incubated for 25–30 days, with juveniles remaining with parents for about eight weeks.

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