Eastern Dwarf Hornbill
Horizocerus granti
A small, dark forest hornbill found predominantly in primary forest subcanopy, where it prefers areas with abundant vines. This species is unique in its overall dark coloration and its broad white eyebrow that extends to the back of the head. The only similarly-sized forest hornbill in its range is the more reddish Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill, but Eastern Dwarf Hornbill has a less well-defined border between the dark chest and white belly, and only Eastern Dwarf Hornbill has the broad white eyebrow behind the eye. Voice is a repetitive “yep yep yep yep” that can be repeated at length, sometimes accompanied with a howl.
Taxonomy
The eastern dwarf hornbill was formally described in 1895 by the German orthithologist Ernst Hartert based on a specimen collected near the Aruwimi River, a tributary of the Congo River, during the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition led by Henry Morton Stanley. Hartert coined the binomial name Lophoceros granti. The specific epithet was chosen to honour the Scottish ornithologist William Ogilvie-Grant. This species is placed in the genus Horizocerus that was introduced in 1899 by the American ornithologist Harry C. Oberholser.
- Scientific name
- Horizocerus granti
- Authority
- (Hartert, EJO, 1895)
- Order
- Bucerotiformes
- Family
- Bucerotidae
- Genus
- Horizocerus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Rufous-tailed Flycatcher
Myiarchus validus
A medium-sized woodland species that prefers moist forests where it typically “flycatches” from perches in thick foliage beneath the canopy. Note its bright rusty tail and the extensive rust on its wings. The Sad Flycatcher is much smaller-bodied and smaller-billed and lacks the rusty tail and wings. The similar Stolid Flycatcher is also smaller-billed and smaller-bodied with more limited rust on tail and wings. Rufous-tailed Flycatcher has a darker gray head and chest than either Sad or Stolid Flycatchers. Vocalizations include a slightly squeaky, emphatic “or-will,” a whistled “pi-pi-pi-pi-pee-pee-pee-pee,” and a harsh squeaky “pew” given in series, plus brief emphatic twitters.
Yellow-bellied Flyrobin
Cryptomicroeca flaviventris
Small mostly grayish songbird with an upright posture and short bill. Note bright yellow belly and small patch of whiter feathers on the throat. Typically found low in dense growth, preferring areas of native habitat including stunted forest and edges. Pleasant song a combination of higher-pitched wheezing whistled notes and lower chiming warbles.
Bennett's Woodpecker
Campethera bennettii
A medium-sized woodpecker with spotted rather than streaked or barred underparts. The male has unmarked white cheeks and throat, and red moustachial streaks and crown, while the female has a distinctive brown throat, cheek, and eye-stripes. Pairs and small groups avoid drier scrub, preferring mature broadleaved woodland, foraging for ants, termites and their larvae, mostly on the ground. The similar Reichenow’s Woodpecker differs from Bennett’s Woodpecker by being smaller, having a diagnostic speckled throat and less bold facial pattern.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.