Tockus deckeni
Von der Decken's Hornbill (Tockus deckeni) is a striking, medium-sized hornbill endemic to East Africa, renowned for its distinctive bill and prominent sexual dimorphism. Males boast an iconic bright red bill with a creamy yellow tip, while females exhibit an entirely black bill, making identification straightforward. Measuring approximately 40-50 cm (16-20 inches) in length and weighing around 200-300 grams, this species is characterized by a black back and crown, contrasting sharply with a ...
Primarily inhabits dry acacia savannas, thornbush, and open woodlands. Typically found at low to mid-elevations from sea level up to 1,400 meters.
Omnivorous, feeding mainly on large insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, and termites, supplemented by small vertebrates like lizards, and various fruits and seeds.
Von der Decken's Hornbills are diurnal birds, active from dawn to dusk, often roosting communally in trees or dense thickets. They employ a varied foraging strategy, gleaning insects from tree branches and foliage, probing the ground with their bills for prey, and occasionally hawking insects in ...
Von der Decken's Hornbill is a resident species distributed across a broad swathe of East Africa. Its primary breeding range extends from southern Ethiopia and Somalia, south through Kenya and eastern Uganda, and into northern and central Tanzania. They are also found in parts of southeastern Sou...
Least Concern
- The male Von der Decken's Hornbill boasts a striking red bill with a yellow tip, while the female's bill is entirely black – one of the most vivid examples of sexual dimorphism in bill coloration among hornbills! - During nesting, the female seals herself inside a tree cavity using a paste of m...