Bycanistes bucinator
The Trumpeter Hornbill (Bycanistes bucinator) is a striking, medium-sized hornbill easily identified by its contrasting black and white plumage and prominent casque. Adults measure approximately 58-65 cm (23-26 inches) in length, with a wingspan of 90-100 cm (35-39 inches) and a weight ranging from 0.8 to 1.4 kg (1.8-3.1 lbs). Its body is predominantly glossy black, sharply contrasted by a white belly, vent, and a distinctive white patch on the lower back and rump, visible primarily in flight...
Primarily inhabits moist evergreen forests, riparian woodlands, and coastal thickets, ranging from sea level up to approximately 1,800 meters.
Primarily frugivorous, consuming a wide variety of wild fruits, especially figs; supplemented with insects, small reptiles, and bird eggs.
Trumpeter Hornbills are diurnal birds, active from dawn to dusk, often roosting communally in large trees. Their foraging strategy is predominantly arboreal; they glean fruits directly from branches but are also opportunistic, snatching insects, small reptiles, and eggs from nests. They are gener...
The Trumpeter Hornbill boasts a wide and relatively stable distribution across sub-Saharan Africa, primarily inhabiting the eastern and southern regions. Its breeding range extends from coastal Kenya and southern Uganda, south through Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique, reaching its souther...
Least Concern
- The "Trumpeter" in its name comes from its distinctively loud, trumpeting calls that resonate through the forest. - Female Trumpeter Hornbills famously seal themselves into a tree cavity with mud and droppings, leaving only a narrow slit, for the entire nesting period. - During the roughly 100-...