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Northern red-billed hornbill

Northern red-billed hornbill

Wikipedia

The northern red-billed hornbill is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is found from southern Mauritania through Somalia and northeast Tanzania. There are five species of red-billed hornbills recognized, but all five were once considered conspecific and some authorities still classify the others as subspecies of Tockus erythrorhynchus.

Distribution

Region

Sahel to Horn of Africa and northeastern Tanzania

Typical Environment

Occupies dry savannas, thornbush, and open Acacia or Commiphora woodland from southern Mauritania and Senegal across the Sahel to Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia, and south into northern Kenya and northeastern Tanzania. It is common in human-modified landscapes, including farmlands, village edges, and roadsides. Prefers mosaic habitats with scattered trees and open ground for foraging. Nests in natural tree cavities within woodland and along riverine corridors.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 2000 m

Climate Zone

Tropical

Characteristics

Size40–50 cm
Wing Span50–60 cm
Male Weight0.22 kg
Female Weight0.18 kg
Life Expectancy12 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 2/5

Useful to know

This small hornbill is widespread from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa and northeastern Tanzania, often seen foraging on the ground in open savanna and around villages. Like other hornbills, the female seals herself inside a tree cavity for nesting, leaving only a narrow slit through which the male passes food. It frequently follows large mammals or human activity to catch insects flushed from vegetation, and is especially fond of termite emergences.

Gallery

Bird photo
Bird photo
Bird photo
Northern red-billed hornbill

Northern red-billed hornbill

Behaviour

Temperament

social and active

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats with low, undulating flights

Social Behavior

Usually forages in pairs or small family parties and may gather in loose flocks at rich food sources. Monogamous pairs nest in tree cavities; the female seals the entrance with mud and droppings, leaving a slit for the male to deliver food. After the chicks grow, the female breaks out and both parents continue feeding the brood.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

Vocalizations include a series of clucking, cackling notes and chattering calls that carry across open savanna. Alarm calls are sharper and more rasping, while contact calls between pair members are softer and more frequent.

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