The Silvery-cheeked Hornbills
The Silvery-cheeked Hornbills (Bycanistes brevis) are uncommon localized residents of the tall evergreen forests of East Africa from Ethiopia to South Africa.
In Zimbabwe, they are threatened by habitat destruction.
Usually, they live in pairs and sometimes roost in flocks of hundreds of individuals.
Description
This is a large bird, with lengths from 75 to 80 cm, characterized by a very large creamy casque on the beak, smaller in females.
The head is silver-grey and the rest of the plumage is black, except for a broad white stripe on the lower back.
Diet / Feeding
This hornbill feeds on fruits, insects, small birds, rodents, small reptiles, and centipedes.
Breeding / Nesting
They breed in spring (September and October) and lay clutches of 1 to 3 white eggs, incubated for 40 days.
The young remain with both parents for circa 80 days.
Hornbill Information … Hornbill Index of Species … Hornbill Species Photo Gallery
