- Lophoceros fasciatus
Identification
54cm
Male
- Mainly black
- Belly white
- Tail black with white outer feathers
- Bill is long, curved with red tip and streaks along cutting edge and cask into mostly yellow bill
- Bare skin at throat and around eye are both blue
- Medium-sized casque
Sexes are similar, but the female has a smaller casque, black instead of red in bill, and orange in bare skin at throat
Immature birds are duller, have a smaller bill, and no casque.
Distribution
Africa: Nigeria (east of Niger River) to Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda
Taxonomy
Congo Pied Hornbill and West African Pied Hornbill were formerly one species with the name of African Pied Hornbill.
Formerly placed in the genus Tockus.
Subspecies
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Forests, second growth, riverine forest, and gardens; does require presence of large trees.
Behaviour
Breeding
The nest is in a tree hole and 4 white eggs are laid. During incubation, the entrance is blocked leaving a small gap to enable the male to pass food through to the female and chicks. Eventually the female breaks out and rebuilds the wall. Both adults then feed the chicks.
Diet
The diet includes fruit and insects.
Vocalisation
A series of whistles that lasts 5-8 seconds and contains 20-30 notes. These increase both in pitch and amplitude during the series.
References
- Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2023. IOC World Bird List (v 13.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.13.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
- Kirwan, G. M., A. C. Kemp, and P. F. D. Boesman (2023). Congo Pied Hornbill (Lophoceros fasciatus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (B. K. Keeney and N. D. Sly, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.afphor3.01
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
