Hornbills are placed by some in their own order Bucerotiformes and by others in the Coraciformes order which contains kingfishers, bee-eaters, rollers, and trogons.
Hornbills are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia . They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly-coloured and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandible. Hornbills are the only birds in which the first two neck vertebrae are fused together; this probably provides a more stable platform for carrying the bill. The large bill assists in fighting, preening, and constructing the nest, as well as catching prey. A feature unique to the hornbills is the casque, a hollow structure that runs along the upper mandible. In some species it is barely perceptible and appears to serve no function beyond reinforcing the bill. In other species it is quite large, is reinforced with bone, and has openings between the hollow centre allowingserve as a resonator for calls.
The family is omnivorous, feeding on fruit and small animals. They cannot swallow food caught at the tip of the beak as their tongues are too short to manipulate it, so they toss it back to the throat with a jerk of the head. They are monogamous breeders nesting in natural cavities in trees and sometimes cliffs.
[Abstracted from Wikipedia]
Genus Aceros
Hornbill, Wrinkled Aceros corrugatus Found: southeast Asia
Photographed by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels
Genus Anthracoceros
Hornbill, Black Anthracoceros malayanus Found; Asia
Photograph by: Neil Phillips- the London Zoo 2) Mahbob Yusof
2) Female
Hornbill, Malabar Pied Anthracoceros coronatus Found: Asia
Photograph by: 1, 2) Thimindu Goonatillake - Sri Lanka
Hornbill, Oriental Pied Anthracoceros albirostris Found: Asia
Photographed by: 1) Mahbob Yusof 2) John J. Mosesso
Hornbill, Palawan Anthracoceros marchei Endemic to Palawan island of he Philippines
Photographed by: Limchiu - Palawan island of he Philippines
Genus Bucorvus
Hornbill, Northern Ground- aka Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill Bucorvus abyssinicus Found: Africa
Photograph by: 1) Alois Staudacher 2) Radomil 3, 4, 5) Dick Daniels - San Diego Zoo
1, 2) Female 3, 4, 5) Male
Hornbill, Southern Ground- Bucorvus leadbeateri Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Arno Meintjes 3) Dick Daniels - World of Birds, South Africa 4) Dick - World of Birds
Hornbill, Rufous Buceros hydrocorax Endemic to Philippines
Photographed by: 1) Fiorellino 2) Magalhães
Genus Bycanistes
Hornbill, Piping Bycanistes fistulator Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - World , South Africa
Hornbill, Silvery-cheeked Bycanistes brevis Found: Africa
The female has a smaller casque on the beak and a reddish eye-ring.
1) Female 2, 3, 4, 5) Male
Hornbill, Trumpeter Bycanistes bucinator Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3) Dick Daniels - World of Birds, South Africa 4) Dick - World of Birds, South Africa
1, 2) Male 3, 4) Female
Genus Ceratogymna
Hornbill, Black-casqued Ceratogymna atrata Found: Africa
Photographed by Dick Daniels - World of Birds, South Africa
Genus Ocyceros
Hornbill, Indian Grey Ocyceros birostris Found: Indian subcontinent
Photographed by: 1, 2) J M Garg - Hyderabad, India.
Hornbill, Malabar Grey Ocyceros griseus Found: Southern India
Photographed by: 1, 2) Rathika Ramasamy - Thattekad, Kerala, India
1) Male 2 Female (black at base of bill)
Hornbill, Sri Lanka Grey Ocyceros gingalensis Endemic to Sri Lanka
Drawn by: J G Keulemans
Genus Penelopides
Hornbill, Sulawesi aka Sulawesi Tarictic Hornbill Penelopides exarhatus Found: Indonesia
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - San Diego Zoo 2) Chris huh - Whipsnade Zoo, Bedfordshire, England
1) Penelopides exarhatus sanfordi 1) Female 2) Male
Genus Tockus
Hornbill, African Pied Tockus fasciatus Found: Africa
Phtotographed by: 1) John Hritz - Potawatomi Zoo, South Bend, Indiana, USA 2) Anneli Moeller 3) Daniel Giraud Elliot
Hornbill, Black Dwarf Tockus hartlaubi Found: Africa
Drawn by: Daniel Giraud Elliot
Hornbill, Bradfield's Tockus bradfieldi Found: Africa
Photographed by Charlie Westerinen - Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe
Hornbill, Crowned Tockus alboterminatus Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Jerry Friedman at Sweetwaters Tented Camp, Kenya 2) 4028mdk09
Hornbill, Grey aka African Grey Hornbill Tockus nasutus Found: Africa
Photographed / Drawn by: 1) Claude Gibney Finch-Davies 2) Arno Meinties
3) Darren Bellerby - Sawela Lodge, Lake Naivasha, Kenya
Hornbill, Hemprich's Tockus hemprichii Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Steve Evans Ethopia 2) Alastair Rae
Hornbill, Jackson's Tockus jacksoni Found: Africa
Photographed / Drawn by: 1) J G Keulemans 2, 3) Steve Garvie
1, 2) Male 3) Female
Hornbill, Monteiro's Tockus monteiri Found: Namibia
Drawn / Photographed by: 1) Gibney Finch-Davies 2) Francesco Veronesi - Etosha, Namibi
`Hornbill, Red-billed Tockus erythrorhynchusFound: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3) Arno Meintjes 4) Dick Daniels - Kruger National Park, South Africa
5) Dick - Birds of Eden, South Africa 6) Dick - Tanzaia 7, 8) Dick - Tanzaia
Last photo is a juvenile.
Hornbill, Eastern Yellow-billed Tockus flavirostris Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Eric - Discovery Cove, Orlando, Florida
Hornbill, Southern Yellow-billed Tockus leucomelas Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - Birds of Eden, South Africa 2, 3) Dick - Kruger National Park, South Africa
4) Sandy Cole in South Africa
Hornbill, von der Decken's Tockus deckeni Found: Africa
Photographed by 1, 4) Steven G Johnson - the London Zoo 2, 3) Dick Daniels - Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo 5, 6) Dick - Tanzaia
1, 2, 3) Female 4, 5, 6) Male
Genus Tropicranus - 1 species
Hornbill, White-crested aka Long-tailed Hornbill Tropicranus albocristatus Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Sandy Cole - San Diego Zoo 2, 3) Charlie Westerinen - the San Diego Zoo 4) Dick Daniels - San Diego Zoo
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