Brown-cheeked Hornbill
Bycanistes cylindricus
Big, spectacular black-and-white hornbill. Males have a large cream-colored bill, and females a much smaller and darker one. In flight, shows a broad white patch at the back of the wing, white wingtips, and a white tail with a black band. Found in the canopy of lowland rainforest, usually in pairs or small groups. The loud calls are honking and yapping notes that are often given in a quick series. Similar to Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill, but has a white tail with a black band, the wingtips are white, and the bill is paler. Could be confused with Piping Hornbill, but much larger, with much more white in the wings and tail and a paler bill.
Identification
The brown-cheeked hornbill is a large bird, measuring 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28 in) in length. The male has a large yellow, down-curving beak topped by a casque, a hollow structure attached to the upper mandible. The head, upper parts and underparts are black apart from the reddish-brown cheeks, and the white rump, belly and tail. The female is smaller but otherwise similar to the male apart from having a black beak and casque. Its call is a descending series of coarse croaks "rrah...rrah...rrah...rrah" or "rack kack kak-kak".
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Bycanistes cylindricus
- Authority
- (Temminck, 1831)
- Order
- Bucerotiformes
- Family
- Bucerotidae
- Genus
- Bycanistes
Range and habitat
The brown-cheeked hornbill is native to the Upper Guinean forests region of tropical West Africa, its range including southern Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, southwestern Ghana and Togo. These forests are moist deciduous, semi-evergreen mixed forests, typically containing a range of tree species, some of which drop their leaves during the dry season. It is also found in mature second-growth forest.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The brown-cheeked hornbill covers large distances while foraging in the forest. It feeds on fruits and is an excellent disperser of the seeds, which may be deposited as far from their origin as 6.9 km (4.3 mi). Many forest trees have large seeds, and any decrease in the populations of frugivorous birds like the brown-cheeked hornbill is likely to impact adversely on the dispersal of seeds and the regeneration of forest. This hornbill also feeds on insects, which it catches on the wing. It nests in cavities in trees some 20 m (66 ft) above the ground, and may be dependent on there being large trees, alive or dead, for suitable nesting sites. Breeding may not take place every year.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Gray-rumped Swallow
Pseudhirundo griseopyga
Slim, long-tailed swallow with pale underparts and dark blue upperparts. The gray rump is not conspicuous when perched but can be discerned in flight. Found in grassland and open savanna, usually near water. Frequently in small flocks. Notable for its unusual habit of nesting in rodent burrows! Similar to Common House Martin, but has a gray rather than white rump, and a longer, slimmer tail.
Red-and-black Grosbeak
Periporphyrus erythromelas
Medium-sized shy bird of tall forest. Both sexes easily recognizable by thick conical bill and contrasting black head; male’s red plumage renders it essentially unmistakable. Female similarly patterned, but with red replaced by yellow and olive. Found in middle and lower levels of rainforest, especially in hilly regions and premontane forests around the tepuis; locally distributed and nowhere common. Sometimes follows mixed-species flocks. Gives thin, lisping contact calls that are easily overlooked. Male’s song is a slow, rich, inflected warble, usually ending on a higher note; distinctive once learned.
Papuan Pitta
Erythropitta macklotii
A distinctive plump, short-tailed, long-legged bird with a bold red belly. Note the rusty nape, black throat, broad blue chest band bordered below with a thick black line, and greenish upperparts. Singles or pairs forage on the forest floor or call from a low perch within forest and secondary growth. More abundant in the lowlands but also occurs in the foothills. No similar species in range. Song is typical of the genus, with a quivering, rising first note and a falling, mournful second whistle: “waaaaop-aaaaaawoo.”
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