The crowned hornbill is a medium-sized bird with a black back and wings, a white belly and tail corners, and a yellow eye. It is omnivorous, eating fruits and small animals like lizards and insects. A unique nesting behavior is that the female seals herself in a tree cavity and is fed by the male through a narrow slit until the young are ready to hatch.
Appearance and size
Size: 50–54 cm (20–21 in) in length, weighing between 180–332 g depending on sex.
Plumage: Sooty-brown with a white eyebrow, white belly, and white tips on its tail feathers.
Bill: Red or orange with a yellowish line at the base and a casque on top. Males have a larger casque than females.
Eyes: Yellow.
Diet and behavior
Diet: Omnivorous, eating a variety of fruits, seeds, and small animals like lizards, millipedes, termites, and small birds.
Social: Lives in small family groups or flocks.
Habitat: Found in lush woodland, forest, and forest edges in eastern and southern Africa.
Reproduction and nesting
Nest: Nests in tree cavities, sometimes used repeatedly.
Female behavior: The female seals herself inside the tree cavity with a mixture of droppings, mud, and debris, leaving only a narrow slit for the male to pass food through.
Eggs: Lays 2–5 eggs, typically 3–4.
Incubation: The female incubates the eggs for 25–27 days.
Fledging: Chicks stay in the nest for 46–55 days and must break down the entrance to get out once they are able to fly.
