The pale-billed hornbill is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is found in Angola, DRC, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Region
South-Central and East Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs in dry savannas and open woodlands, especially miombo (Brachystegia) and mopane stands, as well as riparian woodland edges. It uses scattered trees and termite-mound country, and readily forages along woodland edges and clearings. Nesting is in natural tree cavities within mature woodland. It tolerates lightly modified habitats, including farm edges and tracks, provided suitable trees remain.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
This hornbill has a distinctive pale ivory bill with only a slight casque, making it easy to separate from other Tockus hornbills. Like many hornbills, the female seals herself in a tree cavity for nesting, leaving a narrow slit through which the male feeds her and the chicks. It frequents dry woodlands and miombo, where it helps control insect populations and disperses seeds.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
direct flight with rapid wingbeats and short glides
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family groups, sometimes forming loose flocks outside the breeding season. Monogamous; the female seals the nest cavity with mud and droppings, leaving a narrow slit, and the male provisions her and the chicks. After the female breaks out, both parents continue feeding the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are a series of cackling, yelping notes and nasal calls, often delivered in short sequences. Pairs may duet with repeated kok-kok and clucking phrases that carry well through woodland.
Plumage
Grey-brown upperparts with paler edges, white to buff underparts, and a long tail with white outer tail feathers; wings dark with pale edging.
Diet
Feeds primarily on insects such as beetles, termites, grasshoppers, and caterpillars, taken from foliage, bark, and the ground. Also eats small vertebrates like lizards when available. Fruits, including figs and other fleshy berries, make up a significant part of the diet seasonally.
Preferred Environment
Forages along woodland edges, in open miombo and mopane stands, and around termite mounds. Frequently descends to the ground to pick prey and will also glean from branches and trunks.
