Indian grey hornbill

Ocyceros birostris

Photo by Sreya Dutta (Flickr)

Common name:
Indian grey hornbill (en); calau-cinzento-indiano (pt); calao de Gingi (fr); cálao gis indio (es); keilschwanztoko (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Bucerotidae

Range:
This species is found throughout most of India and northwards into north-eastern Pakistan, southern Nepal and north-western Bangladesh.

Size:
These birds are 50-60 cm long and weigh 240-375 g.

Habitat:
The Indian grey hornbill is mostly found in dry tropical forests and dry savannas, also using arable land and rural gardens.

Diet:
They feed mainly on small fruits, namely those of Streblus asper, Cansjera rheedii, Carissa carandas, Grewia tiliaefolia, Lannea coromandelica, Ficus spp., Sterculia urens and Securinega leucopyrus. They also take invertebrates such as molluscs, insects and scorpions, small birds, mice and lizards and, rarely, flower petals.

Breeding:
Indian grey hornbills breed in February-June. They are monogamous, and sometimes show co-operative breeding with young males helping the breeding couple. The nest is a natural tree cavity, lined with pieces of bark and placed 6-30 m above the ground. The female closes the entrance of the nest with faeces and mud, remaining inside until the young are near fledging while the male brings her food through a small hole. She lays 2-5 dull white eggs, which are incubated for 4-5 weeks. The chicks fledge about 8 weeks after hatching, with the whole nesting period lasting an average 87 days.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is reported to be widespread and often common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Visayan hornbill

Penelopides panini

Photo by Lorenzo Vinciguerra (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
Visayan hornbill (en); calau-de-Visayan (pt); calao tarictic (fr); cálao chico de Panay (es); Visayan-tariktikhornvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Bucerotidae

Range:
This species is endemic to the Philippines, where it is found in Panay, including the offshore islands of Sicogon and Pan de Azucar, Guimaras, Negros, Masbate and Ticao.

Size:
These small hornbills are 45 cm long and weigh 435-485 g.

Habitat:
The Visayan hornbill is mostly found in primary, evergreen, dipterocarp rainforests, sometimes also using nearby secondary forests or isolated fruiting trees. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.500 m.

Diet:
They feed mainly on fruits, but also take invertebrates such as beetles, ant alates and earthworms, lizards and even fish.

Breeding:
Visayan hornbills breed in March-June. They breed in isolated pairs or sometimes co-operatively in groups of up to 12 individuals. They nest in natural holes in dead or living trees, about 10 m above the ground. Once the female enters the nest the male seals the entrance with wood flakes and food remains, and will feed the female by regurgitating food through a small opening. Inside the female lays 2-3 eggs which she incubates alone possibly for 30-35 days. The female feeds the chicks with food brought by the male and both female and young leave the nest 55-58 days after the nest was sealed.

Conservation:
IUCN status - EN (Endangered)
This species has a relatively large breeding range but the global population is estimated at just 1.200 individuals. The Visayan hornbill has apparently been extirpated from a number of islands and its decline is suspected to have continued very rapidly, mainly due to deforestation, hunting and trapping for the cage bird trade. At present, possibly less than 5% of the original forest cover remains intact within the species range. No new information has been provided concerning rate of decline, but given that a proportion of remaining habitat is protected and the species is presumably now very rare, declines in the future are unlikely to be as rapid as in the recent past.

African grey hornbill

Tockus nasutus

Photo by Carmelo López (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
African grey hornbill (en); calau-cinzento (pt); calao à bec noir (fr); toco piquinegro (es); grautoko (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Bucerotidae

Range:
This species is found in sub-Saharan Africa, from south-western Mauritania and Guinea east to southern Sudan and Ethiopia, and south Namibia, Botswana and north-eastern South Africa. They are mostly absent from the Congo river basin. It also occurs along the Rea Sea coast of south-western Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Size:
These birds are 43-51 cm long and weigh 160-230 g.

Habitat:
The African grey hornbill is mostly found in dry savannas and woodlands, also using tropical forests and dry grasslands. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.500 m.

Diet:
They are mostly carnivorous, hunting rodents, frogs and bird eggs and nestlings, as well as spiders and large insects such as grasshoppers, beetles and caterpillars. They also take fruits such as figs, and peanuts.

Breeding:
African grey hornbills can breed all year round, varying among different parts of their range. They nest in a tree hole or sometimes on a rock crevice or abandoned barbet nest, which the female seals from the inside with her own faeces leaving just a small slit through which the males feeds her. She lays 2-5 eggs which she incubates alone for about 24 days. The chicks are fed by the female while the males provides her food, fledging 43-49 days after hatching. They only become fully independent a few weeks later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be widespread and common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Oriental pied hornbill

Anthracoceros albirostris

Photo by Mario Widmer (Wikipedia)

Common name:
oriental pied hornbill (en); calau-de-faces-brancas (pt); calao pie (fr); cálao cariblanco (es); orienthornvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Bucerotidae

Range:
This species is found in south-east Asia, from northern and north-eastern India, through Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar, and into extreme southern China, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Borneo and Java.

Size:
These birds are 55-60 cm long and weigh 600-900 g.

Habitat:
The oriental pied hornbill is mostly found in moist tropical forests, but also uses dry tropical forests, dry savannas, plantations and arable land. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 700 m.

Diet:
They feed on fruits and small animals, namely figs, rambutan, guava, papaya, soursop and palm fruits, and small birds and eggs, small snakes, lizards, geckos, skinks, crabs, earthworms, spiders and insects.

Breeding:
These bird are monogamous. They nest in a tree cavity, where the female seals herself in leaving just a small hole for the male to provide her food. There she lays 3 eggs, which she incubates alone for 27-28 day. She feeds the chicks with food provide by the male, and in some cases may kill the weaker chick to feed the others. About 2 months after hatching the female breaks open the seal and the chicks fledge.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be the commonest Asian hornbill. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Southern ground-hornbill

Bucorvus leadbeateri

Photo by Marco Valentini (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
southern ground-hornbill (en); calau-gigante (pt); bucorve du Sud (fr); cálao terrícola (es); kaffernhornrabe (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Bucerotidae

Range:
This species is found from Kenya and Tanzania, through southern D.R. Congo and Zambia and into Angola, Mozambique and eastern South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 90-102 cm long. The females are smaller and weigh 2,3-4,6 kg, while the larger males weigh 3,5-6,2 kg.

Habitat:
These birds are found in open woodlands and savannas, as well as nearby grasslands and scrublands, pastures and agricultural land. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on arthropods, but also snails, frogs and toads, and sometimes larger prey such as snakes, lizards, rats, hares, squirrels or tortoises. There are also known to eat fruits, seeds and occasionally carrion.

Breeding:
The southern ground-hornbill breeds in September-March. They are monogamous, social breeders, with a dominant pair that breeds and helpers. They nest in a large cavity, in a tree or cliff, where the female lays 2 white eggs. The eggs are incubated by the female for 40 days, while the other group members bring her food. Usually only 1 chick is raised, being fed by all the members of the group and fledging 85-86 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a very large breeding range is reported to be widespread and common but sparse. The population is projected to suffer a large decline of up to 50% in the next three generation, as a result of habitat loss through clearance for small-scale use, agriculture, and because of fires, and perhaps because of the actions of African elephants Loxodonta africana in Botswana and South Africa. Widespread livestock grazing has also lead to the erosion of suitable grasslands and there is also some persecution and accidental poisoning when they consume poisoned baits. In South Africa there are extensive conservation programs for this species, including re-introductions, supplementary feeding, multiple clutching, group supplementation and artificial nest-site provisioning.

Silvery-cheeked hornbill

Bycanistes brevis

(Photo from Wikipedia)

Common name:
silvery-cheeked hornbill (en); calau-de-crista (pt); calao à joues argent (fr); cálao cariplateado (es); silberwangenhorvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Bucerotidae

Range:
This species is patchily distributed from northern Ethiopia, through Kenya and Tanzania and into central Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Size:
These birds are 60-75 cm long and weigh 1-1,5 kg.

Habitat:
The silvery-cheeked hornbill is found in mountain and coastal tropical forests, in gallery forests and in dry savannas with tall trees. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.600 m.

Diet:
They forage on the forest canopy, mainly eating the fruits and berries of various plants including Ficus, Syzygium, Dracaena, Newtonia, Khaya and Strychnos. They sometimes also eat flowers. They also hunt animals, namely lizards, young birds and eggs, fruit bats, insects, centipedes and spiders.

Breeding:
Silvery-cheeked hornbills are monogamous, solitary nesters. They breed in September-April, nesting in a natural cavity in a trunk or large branch of a tree, 7-25 m above the ground. The same cavity is often reused in multiple breeding seasons. There the female lays 1-2 white eggs, which she incubates alone for about 40 days while the male brings her food. the female remains in the nest with the chicks until fledging, while the male brings food. The chicks fledge 77-80 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large but patchy breeding range. Although the global population size has not been quantified, the silvery-cheeked hornbill is reported to be locally common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Trumpeter hornbill

Bycanistes bucinator

Photo by Marco Valentini (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
trumpeter hornbill (en); calau-trompeteiro (pt); calao trompette (fr); cálao trompetero (es); trompeterhornvogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Coraciiformes
Family Bucerotidae

Range:
This species is found in East Africa, from Kenya to eastern South Africa, and west, through southern D.R. Congo and Zambia, into Angola.

Size:
This medium-sized hornbill is 58-65 cm long and has a wingspan of 60-62 cm. They weigh 450-1.000 g.

Habitat:
The trumpeter hornbill is found in both moist and dry tropical forests, as well as in dry savannas, especially along watercourses. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.200 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on fruits such as Ficus, Trichilia, Ekebergia, Diospyros, Drypetes, Rauvolfia, Berchemia, Xanthocercis, Afzelia, Rhoicissus, Antidesma, Monanthotaxis, Pterocarpus, Stychnos, but also flowers, invertebrates like woodlice, millipedes, caterpillars, spiders and crabs, the eggs and nestlings of other birds and wasp nests.

Breeding:
Trumpeter hornbills breed in September-January. The nest in natural holes in trees, or sometimes in rocky crevices. After mating the female enters the nest and seals it with mud and faeces collected by the male, staying there until the chicks are ready to fledge. The female lays 2-5 white eggs, which she incubates alone for around 24 days while receiving food from the male. The chicks are fed by the female, from food collected by the male, and fledge 50 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be thinly distributed across a wide range, but locally common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Red-billed hornbill

Tockus erythrorhynchus

Photo by Stuart Burns (Wikipedia)

Common name:

red-billed hornbill (en); calau-de-bico-vermelho (pt); calao à bec rouge (fr); toco piquirrojo (es); rotschnabeltoko (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Coraciiformes

Family Bucerotidae

Range:

This species is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, from Mauritania, Mali and Sudan all the way south to South Africa.

Size:

The red-billed hornbill is 42-50 cm long and weighs 150 g.

Habitat:

They generally prefer open, wooded savanna with sparse ground cover, and dry thorn-bush. They may also be found in tropical dry forests and high altitude scrubland, being present up to an altitude of 2.000 m.

Diet:

Red-billed hornbills are omnivorous, eating insects, small vertebrates, fruits and seeds. They are known to take beetles, ants, termites, flies, crickets and grasshoppers, centipedes, spiders, solifugids, scorpions, small reptiles, bird eggs and nestlings, rodents, and the seeds and fruits of Boscia and Commiphora.

Breeding:

These birds breed in September-March. They nest in natural cavities in trees, up to 9 m above the ground, and the female seals herself inside that cavity, leaving only a small slit through which the male provides food. There she lays lays 3-6 white eggs which she incubates alone for 23-25 days. She stays in the nest to feed the chicks and only leaves about 3 weeks after they hatched. The chicks fledge 39-50 days after hatching, but remain with their parents for another 6 months.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has an extremely large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, it is reported to be widespread and locally common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Black and white casqued hornbill

Bycanistes subcylindricus

Common name:

black and white casqued hornbill (en); calau-de-casco-preto-e-branco (pt); calao à joues grises (fr); cálao de casco blanco y negro (es); grauwangen-hornvogel (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Coraciiformes

Family Bucerotidae

Range:

These birds are found in throughout West and Central Africa. The subspecies Bycanistes s. subcylindricus ranges from Sierra Leone and north-east Liberia across the Ivory Coast to western Nigeria, while the subspecies, B. s. subquadratus, ranges from eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic to Sudan, Zaire, Uganda, south-west Kenya, and north-west Tanzania. An isolated population of B. s. subquadratus also exists in Angola.

Size:

This large hornbill is 60-70 cm long. Males tend to be larger than females, weighing 1.080-1.530 g, while females weigh between 1.000-1.250 g.

Habitat:

Black and white casqued hornbills are most commonly found in subtropical and tropical lowland and mountain forests, being also found in artificial landscapes such as plantations or urban areas, heavily degraded forests and dry savannas. They are present up to 2.600 m above sea level.

Diet:

These birds are mostly frugivorous, with the fruits of Ficus trees composing more than half of their diet. Overall, they are known to eat the fruits of over 41 plant genera, which they forage by hopping from branch to branch in the rainforest canopy and reaching for fruit with the tip of the bill, which they then swallow whole. They also consume birds, eggs, insects, bats, snails, lizards, molluscs, other small animal prey, mosses, lichens, and fungi.

Breeding:

They can breed throughout the year, but generally concentrate breeding during the local wet season of each part of their range. They nest in naturally formed cavities, 9-30 m high in large rainforest trees, and seal the cavity with mud pellets collected by the male. Inside, the female lays 2 white eggs, which she incubates alone for 42 days while the male delivers food to the female through a small slit, regurgitating numerous fruits, mammals, and insects. Usually only one offspring is reared, with the chick from the second-laid egg dying of starvation. The surviving chick fledges 70-79 days after hatching, but only becomes fully independent 7-10 weeks later.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is reported to be locally uncommon to common over its very large breeding range. This species is able to survive in degraded forest and open areas, which allows it to survive large scale habitat degration occuring throughout its range. However, forest degradation in Africa means that hornbills now occur in more open areas with few large trees, which makes them more prone to hunting.