The trumpeter hornbill (''Bycanistes bucinator'') is a medium-sized
hornbill
Hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family (biology), 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 (an ...
, with length between , characterized by a large grey
casque
Casque is a French word for helmet. It can refer to:
* Casque (anatomy), an enlargement on the beaks of some species of birds, including many hornbills
*Hornbill ivory, the casque of the helmeted hornbill, collected as a decorative material
* S. C ...
on the bill, smaller in females. The eyes are brown or red, with pink surrounding skin. Body mass is between .
[''CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses'' by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), .] It is similar to
silvery-cheeked hornbill
The silvery-cheeked hornbill (''Bycanistes brevis'') is a large species of hornbill found in Africa. Silvery-cheeked hornbills are residents of the tall evergreen forests of East Africa from Ethiopia to South Africa. In Zimbabwe it is threatened ...
. Distinguishing features include an all-black back, white belly and white underwing coverts (in flight, wings present white tips), and red facial skin.
The trumpeter hornbill is a gregarious bird, usually living in groups of two to five individuals, although sometimes as many as fifty. This hornbill is a locally common resident of the tropical evergreen forests of
Burundi,
Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
,
Botswana
Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...
,
Congo,
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
, the
Caprivi strip of
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 ea ...
and eastern
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, where it feeds on fruits and large insects. Like other hornbills, the females incubate four to five white eggs while sealed in the nest compartment.
Aviculture
When they are kept and fed in captivity, they are tame, loving birds that can be taught a variety of tricks and enjoy companionship with their owner. They require large, spacious cages to move about in because of their active nature. Care is needed with their high fruit diet because of their susceptibility to excessive iron storage (similar to the excessive iron storage seen in the disease
hemochromatosis
Iron overload or hemochromatosis (also spelled ''haemochromatosis'' in British English) indicates increased total accumulation of iron in the body from any cause and resulting organ damage. The most important causes are hereditary haemochromatos ...
in humans). They are very intelligent and have a life expectancy of up to 20 years.
Widespread throughout its large range, the trumpeter hornbill is evaluated as
least concern
A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...
on the
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Gallery
Image:Trumpeter hornbill feeding mate 31l07.JPG,
Image:Trumpeter Hornbill - Bycanistes bucinator, Livingstone, Southern Province, Zambia.jpg,
Image:TrumpeterHornbill.jpg,
Image:Ceratogymna bucinator JF.jpg,
References
External links
BirdLife Species Factsheet* Trumpeter hornbill
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1262205
trumpeter hornbill
The trumpeter hornbill (''Bycanistes bucinator'') is a medium-sized hornbill, with length between , characterized by a large grey casque on the bill, smaller in females. The eyes are brown or red, with pink surrounding skin. Body mass is between ...
Birds of Southern Africa
trumpeter hornbill
The trumpeter hornbill (''Bycanistes bucinator'') is a medium-sized hornbill, with length between , characterized by a large grey casque on the bill, smaller in females. The eyes are brown or red, with pink surrounding skin. Body mass is between ...
Fauna of the Eastern Highlands