Trumpeter Hornbill(Bycanistes bucinator)
The Trumpeter Hornbill, is a medium-sized hornbill, between 58 and 65 cm, characterized by a large grey casque on the bill, which is smaller in females. The eyes are brown or red, with pink surrounding skin. Distinguishing features include an all-black back, white belly and white underwing coverts (in flight, wings present white tips), and red facial skin. It is similar to silvery-cheeked hornbill.
Habitat
This hornbill is a locally common resident of the tropical evergreen forests of Southern Africa, including Burundi, Mozambique, Botswana, Congo, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania the Caprivi strip of Namibia and eastern South Africa.
Diet
Trumpeter Hornbills are omnivorous feeding on fruits, large insects, crabs, millipedes, reptiles and small mammals.
Breeding
The Trumpeter Hornbill normally uses natural holes in trees as nesting sites. Once a site has been selected the female then seals it with mud and faeces collected by the male, leaving a small slit. It sometimes uses holes in rock faces, although not often. Egg-laying season is from September-January, peaking from October-November. It lays 2-4 eggs, which are incubated solely by the female for roughly 24 days. The male forages for the female, giving food to her through the entrance slit. The chicks stay in the nest for at least 50 days, remaining near the nest for about a week before joining the parents in foraging flights.
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 thinly distributed across a wide range, but locally common. The species is tentatively assessed as being in decline due to habitat loss.
Threats
There are not many threats to this species but the main threat is habitat loss.
Conservation
There are currently no conservation actions for this species.