The Monteiro's hornbill (''Tockus monteiri'') is a species of

hornbill 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 mandib ...

that is native to the dry woodlands of southwestern Africa. It is a common, near-endemic species in

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and e ...

, with a total population estimated at 340,000 individuals.

Description

It is a medium-sized bird, in length. With a body mass of , it appears to be the largest hornbill of the relatively diminutive ''

Tockus ''Tockus'' is a genus of birds in the hornbill family, Bucerotidae, which are native to Africa. Description Hornbills in the genus ''Tockus'' are medium-sized African birds with triangular shaped curved bills. They can be found in tropical an ...

'' genus. The species is characterized by a white belly, black back, with white spots on the wings and white secondary flight feathers. The outer feathers of the long tail are also white. Females are smaller than males and can be recognized by turquoise facial skin. The eyes are black and the beak is red.

Range and habitat

Its habitat is the

savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

and dry thornveldt of northwestern

and southwestern

Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

Habits

Unlike other hornbills, which are

omnivorous An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nut ...

, the Monteiro's hornbill feeds exclusively on

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

s and other small

arthropod Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...

s. In springtime, Monteiro's hornbills migrate to the southern

Windhoek Windhoek (, , ) is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek in 20 ...

region to nest. They are adapted to the arid environment, and drinking is not a vital necessity for them. They breed at the end of a good rainy season, laying 3 to 5 greyish-white

eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

, which hatch after about 45 days. The nest is built on rock faces or in trees.

Gallery

image:Monteiro's Hornbill - Namibia IMG 2370 (15786016024).jpg, Immature bird in Namibia image:Tockus_monteiri_(44).jpg, Adult male at

Spitzkoppe The Spitzkoppe (from German for ''"pointed dome"''; also referred to as Spitzkop, Groot Spitzkop, or the " Matterhorn of Namibia") is a group of bald granite peaks or inselbergs located between Usakos and Swakopmund in the Namib desert of ...

, Namibia image:Tockus monteiri00a.jpg, Illustration by Finch-Davies image:A monograph of the Bucerotidæ, or family of the hornbills (Plate LIII) BHL38534729.jpg, Illustration by Keulemans

References

External links

* Monteiro's hornbill
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1088548 Monteiro's hornbill Monteiro's hornbill Birds of Southern Africa Monteiro's hornbill