Tanzanian Red-billed Hornbill
Tockus ruahae
A fairly small, slim, long-tailed hornbill. Note the red bill, the dark eye with a ring of black skin, and the heavily spotted back. White patches on the wing and outer tail are conspicuous in flight. Found locally in moderately moist savanna and woodland, usually in areas with baobabs and acacias. Similar to Northern Red-billed Hornbill, but separated by the black rather than pale bare skin around the eye. Call is a series of clucks that starts with single notes, then becomes louder and more emphatic, with doubled notes.
Identification
Tanzanian red-billed hornbills (Tockus ruahae) are small hornbills in the group of the red-billed hornbills. They have curved, bright red bills that end in a small dot of dark orange. Their sclera can vary from light orange to dark yellow and their pupils are usually dark black. Like most species of hornbills, they support medium-sized circles of black skin around their eyes, both in females and males. They have greyish-white necks and bellies and their wings, like all red billed hornbills, have large and small spots of white surrounded by black feathers. Their tail feathers are long and black on the exterior and white on the interior.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Tockus ruahae
- Authority
- Kemp, A & Delport, 2002
- Order
- Bucerotiformes
- Family
- Bucerotidae
- Genus
- Tockus
Range and habitat
Tanzanian red-billed hornbills can be found in central Tanzania. They are usually found resting or nesting in trees in forests or savannahs where their food is plentiful.
Photos
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