26-5-2019 SOMALISA, ZIMBABWE - CROWNED HORNBILL (Lophoceros alboterminatus)

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. 

26-5-2019 SOMALISA, ZIMBABWE - CROWNED HORNBILL (Lophoceros alboterminatus)

The crowned hornbill, known scientifically as Lophoceros alboterminatus, is a medium-sized bird, measuring between 50 to 54 centimeters in length. It boasts a striking contrast with its white belly set against a black back and wings. The tail feathers are tipped with white, adding to its distinctive appearance. The bird's eyes gleam with a yellow hue, while the beak is a vibrant red, topped with a prominent casque on the upper mandible. In females, this casque is notably smaller, a subtle difference that aids in gender identification.

To identify the crowned hornbill, look for its shorter beak which sets it apart from the similar Bradfield's hornbill. The male's casque is more pronounced than the female's, and the white tips on the long tail feathers are a key characteristic to watch for.

This hornbill species is a familiar sight in the coastal and riverine forests stretching from the eastern coast of southern Africa to the northeastern regions of the continent.

The crowned hornbill is an arboreal forager, predominantly feeding in the trees. Its diet is varied, consisting of insects, which it often snatches in flight, as well as small rodents, reptiles, eggs, seeds, and fruits. This bird is known to gather in flocks, particularly during the dry season.

The breeding habits of the crowned hornbill involve laying a clutch of four to five pristine white eggs. These eggs undergo an incubation period lasting between 25 to 30 days. Post-hatching, the juveniles remain under the care of both parents for approximately 8 weeks, learning the ways of the forest.

The IUCN Red List has classified the crowned hornbill as Least Concern, indicating that, for now, this species does not face an immediate threat of extinction in the wild.