Horizocerus albocristatus
The Western Long-tailed Hornbill, *Horizocerus albocristatus*, is a striking, medium-sized forest hornbill endemic to West and Central Africa. Measuring approximately 70-80 cm in length, including its exceptionally long tail, and weighing around 275-400 grams, it is characterized by its glossy black plumage, bright white crest, and a distinctive long, white-tipped tail which can account for half its total length. Its bill is a creamy yellow with a small casque, often black at the base. This s...
Resides primarily in the understory and mid-canopy of lowland tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, including secondary growth and forest edges, typically below 1,000 meters elevation.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide variety of arthropods such as beetles, mantises, and stick insects, supplemented with fruits, seeds, and occasional small vertebrates like lizards or tree frogs, all primarily gleaned from branches and foliage.
Diurnal and highly arboreal, Western Long-tailed Hornbills spend their days foraging within the forest canopy, typically roosting high in trees at night. They employ a 'sit-and-wait' foraging strategy, gleaning insects and fruit from branches and foliage, occasionally making short sallies to catc...
The Western Long-tailed Hornbill is a resident species distributed across the lowland tropical forests of West and Central Africa. Its range extends from Sierra Leone and Guinea eastward through Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. Further east, it inhabits Cameroon, Equatoria...
Least Concern
- The Western Long-tailed Hornbill possesses the longest tail relative to its body size among all African hornbill species, often making up half of its total length. - Its distinctive white crest can be raised and lowered, serving as a prominent visual signal during courtship or territorial displ...