Crowned Hornbill(Lophoceros Alboterminatus)
The adult male has sooty-brown plumage on the upperparts, head, chin, throat and breast. The belly is white. On the wings, the flight feathers are edged buff. The long tail is white-tipped. On the head, we can see an indistinct, broad, white eyebrow, and a flat crest on the crown with some longer whitish feathers. The bill is dark orange-red with a casque on the upper mandible. There is a yellow line at base of the bill and the throat skin is dark. The eyes are orange. Legs and feet are blackish. The female has similar plumage, but she has smaller casque and yellower line at bill base. Her eyes are yellower. The throat skin is green. She is slightly smaller than male. The juvenile shows white flecks and buff edges on the wing-coverts. It has yellow bill with indistinct casque. The throat skin is dull yellow. The rectrices are buff-edged too.
Habitat
The Crowned Hornbill frequents forested or lightly wooded country with thicker forest patches, and riverine and coastal forests on the eastern coast of southern Africa. It also be found in open fields and may enter gardens in urban areas.
The Crowned Hornbill is found in SW Ethiopia, NE Zaire, NW Uganda, C Kenya and S Somalia to Angola, extreme NE Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and E South Africa.
Diet
The Crowned Hornbill feeds mainly on arthropods and also takes fruits during the dry season. It consumes snails, small birds, lizards, and golden moles. It takes many insects such as grasshoppers, hairy or hairless caterpillars, termites, wasps, moths and beetles. It consumes numerous fruits, and also crops oil palm, peanuts, maize and bananas. The Crowned Hornbill forages among the foliage in tree canopy. It often plucks off insects from the vegetation, but it is able to catch them while flying.
Breeding
The laying occurs at the beginning of the rainy season, between October and January in C and S Africa, and February-July or September-November in E Africa. The Crowned Hornbill nests in natural cavities, in tree trunk or large branches at about 1, 50–12 metres above the ground. The lining is made with bark flakes brought by the male. Then, the female uses her own droppings for sealing the entrance. She is fed by the male through a vertical slit. She lays 2-5 white eggs after 1-2 weeks of pre-laying period. She incubates during 25-27 days. The chicks hatch 2-4 days apart. The male feeds the female and the chicks at nest. The female moults flight feathers and rectrices while she is in the cavity. Then, she breaks down the entrance and both parents feed the young which fledge 46-55 days after hatching. They remain in family group until the following breeding season. The young have to break down the sealed nest entrance. This work can last from some hours to several days. They are able to fly very quickly and remain with their parents.
Population
According to the IUCN Red List, they are classed as Least Concern(LC). The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is reported to be widespread and locally common in suitable habitat. The population is suspected to be in decline locally owing to ongoing habitat destruction
Threats
The main threats to this species is habitat destruction.
Conservation
There are currently no conservation actions in place for this species.