Silvery-cheeked Hornbill
Encyclopedia
The Silvery-cheeked Hornbill (Bycanistes brevis) is a large bird at 75 to 80 cm (29.5 to 31.5 in) in length with a very large creamy casque on the beak. The female has a smaller casque and reddish skin around the eyes. The head is silver-grey and the rest of the plumage
is iridescent black, except for the white rump, lower back, thighs, vent and tip of the outer tail-feathers. Silvery-cheeked Hornbills are residents of the tall evergreen forests of East Africa
from Ethiopia
to South Africa
. In Zimbabwe it is threatened by habitat destruction
and its presence in South Africa is marginal, but it remains locally fairly common, especially in the northern and central parts of its range. Usually they live in pairs and sometimes roost in flocks of hundreds of individuals. This hornbill feeds on fruits, insects, small birds, rodents, small reptiles and centipede
s. They breed in spring (September and October; at least in part of its range) and lay clutches of 1 to 3 white eggs, incubated for 40 days. The young remain with both parents for circa 80 days.
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
is iridescent black, except for the white rump, lower back, thighs, vent and tip of the outer tail-feathers. Silvery-cheeked Hornbills are residents of the tall evergreen forests of East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
from Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. In Zimbabwe it is threatened by habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
and its presence in South Africa is marginal, but it remains locally fairly common, especially in the northern and central parts of its range. Usually they live in pairs and sometimes roost in flocks of hundreds of individuals. This hornbill feeds on fruits, insects, small birds, rodents, small reptiles and centipede
Centipede
Centipedes are arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda of the subphylum Myriapoda. They are elongated metameric animals with one pair of legs per body segment. Despite the name, centipedes can have a varying number of legs from under 20 to over 300. Centipedes have an odd number of pairs of...
s. They breed in spring (September and October; at least in part of its range) and lay clutches of 1 to 3 white eggs, incubated for 40 days. The young remain with both parents for circa 80 days.