The Tanzanian red-billed hornbill is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is found in central Tanzania and was discovered by Robert Glen and Sue Stolberger in Ruaha National Park All five red-billed hornbills were formerly considered conspecific.
Region
East Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs in central Tanzania, especially in and around Ruaha National Park and adjacent savanna ecosystems. It favors open dry woodlands, thornbush, and Acacia–Commiphora scrub with scattered large trees for nesting. It also uses riparian strips and edges of cultivation where mature trees remain. Tree cavities are essential for breeding, and it forages widely on the ground in open areas. It will exploit termite emergences and recently burned patches to find prey.
Altitude Range
500–1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The Tanzanian red-billed hornbill was described from Ruaha National Park and is restricted to central Tanzania. Like other hornbills, the female seals herself inside a tree cavity during nesting, leaving only a narrow slit through which the male passes food. It was split from the red-billed hornbill complex, which previously lumped five now-recognized species. It often becomes quite confiding around people in parks and villages.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides
Social Behavior
Typically seen in pairs or small family groups, often foraging together on the ground. Pairs are strongly monogamous and defend a small territory during breeding. The female seals herself inside a tree cavity with a plaster of mud and droppings, leaving a slit for the male to pass food until the chicks are older.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are a series of clucking, cackling, and nasal notes, often accelerating and rising slightly. Calls carry well across open savanna and are used to keep contact between mates and family groups.
Plumage
Upperparts brownish to blackish with prominent white spotting on the wing coverts; underparts mostly white to buff. Tail dark with white outer tail feathers; head and neck pale grey to whitish. Feathers are sleek with a slight gloss on the darker wings and tail.
Diet
Feeds on a wide range of insects including termites, beetles, ants, and grasshoppers. Also takes spiders and other invertebrates, along with fruits, seeds, and occasionally small vertebrates such as lizards or nestlings. It will forage near termite mounds and follow disturbances like grazing animals or grass fires to catch fleeing prey. Opportunistic around villages where it picks insects and scraps.
Preferred Environment
Primarily forages on the ground in open woodland, scrub, and along tracks and river edges. Uses trees and shrubs for lookout perches and to glean insects and fruits. Often feeds at termite emergences after rain.
