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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
red-billed
hornbill |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Coraciiformes |
| FAMILY: |
Bucerotidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Tockus erythrorhynchus |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Red-billed hornbills have a thin, red bill and pale
head with dark gray, neck and white face. Their
body is sooty brown with white stripe down center,
white belly, black with white spotted primaries,
and black tail. Males and females are similar in
appearance, but males are slightly larger. |
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| SIZE: |
50-60 cm (19-24 in.) total length |
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| WEIGHT: |
Less than .45 kg (less than 1 lb.) |
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| DIET: |
Primarily
insects, but will also take geckos, birds' eggs
and nestlings; occasionally, they will scavenge
dead rodents |
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| INCUBATION: |
23-25 days |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
3-5 eggs |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Averages about 15 years |
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| RANGE: |
Senegal, Africa to Ethiopia and Somalia and south
to Kenya, Botswana, Angola and Mozambique |
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| HABITAT: |
Open savanna, woodland and thorn scrub |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Not evenly distributed, but are locally abundant |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
No data |
| CITES |
No
data |
| USFWS |
No
data |
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| 1. |
Red-billed hornbills nest in holes in trees where
the female seals the entrance for two to three months
while she incubates the eggs and feeds the young
with insects brought to her by the male. |
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| 2. |
Hornbills are unique because their first two neck
vertebrae have been fused to support their large
bill. |
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| 3. |
They are territorial and will defend their space
against their own species, but not other species,
so several species of hornbill may have overlapping
territories at one time. |
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| 4. |
Red-billed
hornbills have an interesting parental strategy.
The female seals herself into a tree cavity, leaving
only a small slit through which the male provides
food. The female molts and re-grows her feathers
during this time, then breaks out of the nest when
the eldest chick is 21-22 days old. The chicks then
reseal the entrance alone, using their droppings
and food remains. Finally, the chicks fly from the
nest, but remain with their parents for six months. |
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| 5. |
When
the chicks are about half grown, the female breaks
out to assist the male in providing food. The chicks
do not leave the nest cavity until they are able
to fly. |
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| 6. |
The
red-billed hornbill has a close association with
people, often benefiting from the insects and small
reptiles that are drawn to people. |
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| 7. |
Some
of their ground-dwelling relatives in South Africa
and Southeast Asia can grow to stand over 3 feet
tall. |
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The red-billed hornbill's population is strong throughout
its range. However, as with any species, their future
status is highly dependent on habitat integrity
as concerns human interaction. Because hornbills
consume a large number of insects and small animals
that are seen as pests, its future is important
for a healthy ecosystem. |
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|
| Austin,
Oliver L. Birds of the World. New York: Golden
Press, 1961. |
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Harrison, C.J.O., and Perrins, Christopher. Birds:
Their Life, Their Ways, Their World. New York:
Reader's Digest Association, Inc., 1987. |
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Kemp, Alan. The Hornbills. Oxford University
Press, Oxford, New York, Tokyo, 1995.
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| Perrins,
Christopher M. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of
Birds. New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1990. |
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| Prozesky,
O.P.M. A Field Guide to the Birds of Southern
Africa. London: Collins Clear Type Press, 1976. |
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