Alternative name: Yellow-casqued Wattled Hornbill
- Ceratogymna elata
Identification
60-70cm. A distinctive, large black hornbill with white outer tail feathers.
Male
- Black crown and rear of head
- Scaly neck pattern, feathers with white bases and brown tips
- Blue bare pendulous throat wattles
- Dark grey bill with yellowish, high cowl-like casque
- Blue circumorbital and inflatable throat skin
- Red eye
Female
- Smaller than male
- Rufous crown and rear of head
- Yellow-brown bill and casque, casque much smaller
- Smaller wattles
- Rufous spotted neck
- Brown eyes
Juveniles similar to females but with smaller bill and no casque.
Distribution
Found in western Africa from southern Senegal east to southwest Cameroon.
Locally still common but has declined in some areas due to habitat destruction.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Habitat
Coastal regions rain forests. Occurs up to 1000m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds mainly on fruit, takes also some insects. Forages mainly in the canopy, sometimes on the ground.
Usually seen in pairs or small groups, often together with Brown-cheeked Hornbill.
Breeding
Little known about breeding. They nest in a natural cavity in tall forest trees.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 2001. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 6: Mousebirds to Hornbills. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334306
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Yellow-casqued Hornbill. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Yellow-casqued_Hornbill
