Crowned Hornbill
Lophoceros alboterminatus
Dark brown hornbill with a white belly and an orange bill. The white corners of the tail are conspicuous in flight. Males and females are similar, but male has a bigger casque on top of the bill. Found in lush woodland, forest, and forest edge. Often in small flocks. Call is a long series of high, piping notes. Has little overlap in range with similar hornbills, and is unique in having a yellow eye.
Identification
It is a medium-sized bird, 50–54 centimetres (20–21 in) in length, and is characterized by its white belly and black back and wings. The tips of the long tail feathers are white. The eyes are yellow; the beak is red and presents a stocky casque on the upper mandible. In females, the casque is smaller. The crowned hornbill can be distinguished from the similar Bradfield's hornbill by its shorter beak.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Lophoceros alboterminatus
- Authority
- Büttikofer, 1889
- Order
- Bucerotiformes
- Family
- Bucerotidae
- Genus
- Lophoceros
Range and habitat
The crowned hornbill is a common resident of the coastal and riverine forests of southern (only the eastern coast) to northeastern Africa.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Snow Mountain Robin
Petroica archboldi
A fairly small, localised bird of bare, rocky slopes above the treeline on certain peaks in the Snow Mountains. Overall sooty grey color, paler on the sides and belly, a narrow white band on the forehead and a large red patch on the chest. Perches on rocks from where it scans for prey. Unmistakable in its habitat. Voice, some harsh rasping notes.
Blue-capped Cordonbleu
Uraeginthus cyanocephalus
A slim, long-tailed, pretty waxbill. The upperparts are pale brown, the underparts and tail blue, and the bill pink. Males have an almost completely blue head, while females have a brown crown and back of the neck. Found in dry thorn savanna and thorn scrub, often in small flocks, sometimes with other waxbills, including other cordonbleus. In the areas of overlap, females are easily confused with Southern and Red-cheeked Cordonbleus, but separated by their brighter pinkish bill. The common call is a high-pitched “tzee-tzee.”
African Rail
Rallus caerulescens
Classic, mid-sized rail. Note the brown back, gray head and chest, barred belly, and reddish bill and legs. Found in wetlands ranging from flooded grassland to deep swamps. Especially favors cattail marshes. Fairly reclusive but walks out into the open more often than most rails. Usually detected by call, a loud, accelerating series of notes that descend the scale. Shares a similar color pattern with African Crake, but African Rail has a longer bill and an unspotted back.
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