''Ocyceros'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of birds in the family
Bucerotidae
Hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly coloured and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandible ...
. Established by
Allan Octavian Hume
Allan Octavian Hume, CB ICS (4 June 1829 – 31 July 1912) was a British civil servant, political reformer, ornithologist and botanist who worked in British India. He was the founder of the Indian National Congress. A notable ornithologist, Hum ...
in 1873, it contains several species that are limited to the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
.
Description
Hornbills in the genus ''Ocyceros'' are small Asian birds with curved triangular bills and grey plumage. As such, they are often called "grey hornbills". They have black and grey eye rings and their eyes are usually dark with black
irises. All of the
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
have different coloured bills: the
Indian grey hornbill
The Indian gray hornbill (''Ocyceros birostris'') is a common hornbill found on the Indian subcontinent. It is mostly arboreal and is commonly sighted in pairs. It has grey feathers all over the body with a light grey or dull white belly. The h ...
has a dark greyish bill, the
Sri Lanka grey hornbill
The Sri Lanka grey hornbill (''Ocyceros gingalensis'') is a bird in the hornbill family and a widespread and common endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka. Hornbills are a family of tropical near-passerine birds found in the Old World.
Habitat ...
has a pale yellowish bill, and the
Malabar grey hornbill
The Malabar gray hornbill (''Ocyceros griseus'') is a hornbill endemic to the Western Ghats and associated hills of southern India. They have a large beak but lack the casque that is prominent in some other hornbill species. They are found main ...
has a more yellowish orange bill.
Species
The genus contains three species:
References
*
Bird genera
Taxa named by Allan Octavian Hume
{{Coraciiformes-stub