Congo Pied Hornbill
Lophoceros fasciatus
A small though long-tailed hornbill that is frequently encountered as it flies singly or in groups over the canopy, between forest gaps, and over road cuts. Distinctive, with a bright white belly and a black head, body, wings, and tail, giving it a bicolored appearance. Similar to West African Pied Hornbill, but usually separated by range, and the sides of the tail are mostly white (instead of having white corners), and the bill is pale yellow with a dark red (rather than black) tip. Calls are a series of high-pitched whistles: “heu heu heu heu.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Lophoceros fasciatus
- Authority
- (Shaw, 1812)
- Order
- Bucerotiformes
- Family
- Bucerotidae
- Genus
- Lophoceros
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The Congo pied hornbill is omnivorous and eats fruit and insects. It feeds mainly in trees and is attracted to oil palms.<p>This conspicuous and gregarious bird advertises its presence with its whistling pii-pii-pii-pii- call.<p>When the chicks and the female are too big to fit in the nest, the mother breaks out and rebuilds the wall. Then both parents feed the chicks.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Heleia wallacei
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Afghan Babbler
Argya huttoni
Slender, dusty-colored babbler with a long tail. Look for its contrasting white throat and streaked crown and back. Found in dry open areas such as semidesert, scrubland, and various edge habitats. Rummages about on the ground in mid-sized to large flocks. Gives a clear, musical, purring series of notes, either ascending or descending, as well as harsher, scratchier calls.
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