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Difference between revisions of "African Grey Hornbill" - BirdForum Opus

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[[Image:African_Grey_Hornbill.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|Reini|Reini}}<br>Photographed:  [[The Gambia]]]]
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[[Image:Grey hornbill 2 edited-2.jpg|thumb|400px|right|Male, subspecies ''nasutus''<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|obasanmi|obasanmi}}<br />[[Gambia]], June 2007]]
;[[:Category:Tockus|Tockus]] nasutus
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;[[:Category:Lophoceros|Lophoceros]] nasutus
 
 
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
45cm. Grey, darker grey head, flight feathers and long tail, white line down each side of the head and one on the back, visible only in flight, long curved black bill in male, red mandibles in female, small casque and a creamy horizontal stripe. Immature birds are more uniformly grey.  
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45–51 cm (17¾-20 in)<br />
 
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*Grey body, head, flight feathers and long tail are darker
 +
*White line down each side of the head and one on the back (visible only in flight)
 +
*Long curved bill (black in male, female has red [[Dictionary_M-O#M|mandibles]])
 +
*Small [[Dictionary_A-C#C|casque]] and a creamy horizontal stripe. <br />
 +
'''Immature''' birds are more uniformly grey.  
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
[[Africa]] and the [[Arabian Peninsula]].
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[[Image:African_Grey_Hornbill.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Female, subspecies ''nasutus''<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Reini|Reini}}<br />[[The Gambia]]]]
 +
[[Africa]] and the [[Arabian Peninsula]]<br />
 +
'''Western Africa''': [[Mauritania]], [[Senegambia]], [[Senegal]], The [[Gambia]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[Guinea]], [[Mali]], [[Sierra Leone]], [[Liberia]], [[Ivory Coast]], [[Burkina Faso]], [[Ghana]], [[Togo]], [[Benin]], [[Nigeria]], [[Niger]], [[Chad]], [[Cameroon]], [[Central African Republic]], [[Equatorial Guinea]], [[Gabon]], [[Congo]], [[Angola]]<br />
 +
'''Eastern Africa''': [[Sudan]], [[Eritrea]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Somalia]], [[Kenya]], [[Uganda]], [[Rwanda]], [[Burundi]], [[Tanzania]], [[Zambia]], [[Mozambique]], [[Malawi]]<br />
 +
'''Southern Africa''': [[Namibia]], [[Botswana]], [[Zimbabwe]], [[South Africa]], [[KwaZulu-Natal]], [[Swaziland]]<br />
 +
'''Middle East''': [[Arabian Peninsula]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Yemen]]<br />
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
''Tockus nasutus'' has 2 subspecies:
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Formerly placed in the genus ''[[:Category:Tockus|Tockus]]''.
*''T. n. nasutus''; and
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====Subspecies====
*''T. n. epirhinus''.
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''Lophoceros nasutus'' has 2 subspecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>
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*''L. n. nasutus'':
 +
*:[[Senegambia]] to [[Ethiopia]], [[Kenya]] and [[Uganda]]; [[Arabian Peninsula]]
 +
*''L. n. epirhinus'':
 +
:*Southern [[Uganda]] and south-eastern [[Kenya]] to northern [[South Africa]]
 +
 
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
Open woodland and savannah.
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[[Image:03-61-S64A0567-2.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Sub-adult, subspecies ''epirhinus''<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|max1|max1}}<br />Satara, [[Kruger National Park]], [[South Africa]], September 2018]]
 +
Riverine bush, deciduous woodland, open savanna, edges of sub-desert and grassland .
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
2-4 white eggs are laid in a tree hollow, which is blocked off during incubation with a cement made of mud, droppings and fruit pulp. There is only one narrow aperture, just big enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks. When the young and the female are too big to fit in the nest, the mother breaks out and rebuilds the wall, then both parents feed the young.
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====Diet====
 +
Their main diet consists of insects, especially arboreal grasshoppers, beetles, mantids and scale insects. They also eat larger prey, such as tree-frogs, chameleons and lizards.
 +
====Breeding====
 +
Their clutch contains 2-4 white eggs which are laid in a tree hollow; this is blocked off during incubation with a cement made of mud, droppings and fruit pulp. There is only one narrow aperture, just big enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks. When the young and the female are too big to fit in the nest, the mother breaks out and rebuilds the wall, then both adults feed the young.
 +
====Vocalisation====
 +
[[Image:18052211 African Grey Hornbill.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo &copy; by {{user|charelli|charelli}}<br />Caprivi, [[Namibia]], May 2018]]
 +
Generally unobtrusive, they are inclined to call at sunrise, emitting a series of shrill piping whistles which varies in speed but often rises to a crescendo with the bird's head is thrown back the whole body trembling with the effort.
 +
==References==
 +
#{{Ref-Clements6thAug18}}#Avibase
 +
#Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved December 2018)
 +
{{ref}}
 +
==External Links==
 +
{{GSearch|Hornbill+nasutus}}
 +
<br />
 +
{{Video|African_Grey_Hornbill}}
  
 
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[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Lophoceros]] [[Category:Videos]]
==External Links==
 
{{GSearch|Tockus+nasutus}}
 
[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Tockus]]
 

Revision as of 00:35, 17 December 2018

Male, subspecies nasutus
Photo © by obasanmi
Gambia, June 2007
Lophoceros nasutus

Identification

45–51 cm (17¾-20 in)

  • Grey body, head, flight feathers and long tail are darker
  • White line down each side of the head and one on the back (visible only in flight)
  • Long curved bill (black in male, female has red mandibles)
  • Small casque and a creamy horizontal stripe.

Immature birds are more uniformly grey.

Distribution

Female, subspecies nasutus
Photo © by Reini
The Gambia

Africa and the Arabian Peninsula
Western Africa: Mauritania, Senegambia, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland
Middle East: Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, Yemen

Taxonomy

Formerly placed in the genus Tockus.

Subspecies

Lophoceros nasutus has 2 subspecies[1]

Habitat

Sub-adult, subspecies epirhinus
Photo © by max1
Satara, Kruger National Park, South Africa, September 2018

Riverine bush, deciduous woodland, open savanna, edges of sub-desert and grassland .

Behaviour

Diet

Their main diet consists of insects, especially arboreal grasshoppers, beetles, mantids and scale insects. They also eat larger prey, such as tree-frogs, chameleons and lizards.

Breeding

Their clutch contains 2-4 white eggs which are laid in a tree hollow; this is blocked off during incubation with a cement made of mud, droppings and fruit pulp. There is only one narrow aperture, just big enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks. When the young and the female are too big to fit in the nest, the mother breaks out and rebuilds the wall, then both adults feed the young.

Vocalisation

Photo © by charelli
Caprivi, Namibia, May 2018

Generally unobtrusive, they are inclined to call at sunrise, emitting a series of shrill piping whistles which varies in speed but often rises to a crescendo with the bird's head is thrown back the whole body trembling with the effort.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Avibase
  3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved December 2018)

Recommended Citation

External Links


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