Brown-cheeked hornbill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brown-cheeked hornbill |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Bycanistes
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| Species: |
cylindricus
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| Synonyms | |
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Ceratogymna cylindricus (Temminck, 1824) |
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The brown-cheeked hornbill (Bycanistes cylindricus) is a fascinating bird. It belongs to the hornbill family, known for their large beaks. You can find this bird in West African countries. These include Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo. It lives in warm, wet forests. It also lives in tree farms and regrowing forests. Sadly, its home is shrinking. This is because trees are cut down, and forests get broken up.
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What Does the Brown-cheeked Hornbill Look Like?
The brown-cheeked hornbill is a big bird. It grows to be about 60 to 70 centimeters (24 to 28 inches) long. The male bird has a large, yellow beak. This beak curves downwards. On top of its beak is a hollow structure called a casque. Its head, back, and belly are black. But its cheeks are a reddish-brown color. It also has a white rump, belly, and tail.
Differences Between Males and Females
The female hornbill is a bit smaller than the male. However, she looks very similar. The main difference is her beak and casque. They are black, not yellow. When this hornbill calls, it makes a rough sound. It sounds like "rrah...rrah...rrah...rrah" or "rack kack kak-kak".
Where Do Brown-cheeked Hornbills Live?
This hornbill lives in the Upper Guinean forests. This area is in tropical West Africa. Its home stretches across southern Guinea and Sierra Leone. It also includes Liberia, Ivory Coast, and parts of Ghana and Togo. These forests are usually moist. They have many different kinds of trees. Some trees even lose their leaves during the dry season. You can also find these birds in older forests that have grown back.
How Do Brown-cheeked Hornbills Live?
Brown-cheeked hornbills fly long distances. They search for food all over the forest. They mostly eat fruits. This makes them very important for the forest. When they eat fruit, they spread the seeds. They can drop seeds as far as 6.9 kilometers (4.3 miles) away. Many forest trees have large seeds. If there are fewer hornbills, fewer seeds get spread. This can hurt the forest's ability to regrow.
What Else Do They Eat?
Besides fruit, these hornbills also eat insects. They are good at catching insects while flying.
Where Do They Nest?
Brown-cheeked hornbills build their nests in tree holes. These holes are usually high up, about 20 meters (66 feet) above the ground. They need large trees, even dead ones, for good nesting spots. They might not breed every single year.
Why Are Brown-cheeked Hornbills in Danger?
The homes of these birds are getting smaller. Forests are being cut down for wood. This means the hornbills have less space to find food. The brown-cheeked hornbill is one of the first hornbill species to disappear. This happens when trees are removed from a forest. Many forest areas where they live have been replaced. Now, there are farms and palm oil plantations.
Other Threats to Hornbills
Even though some hornbills live in protected areas, they still face dangers. People sometimes hunt these birds. They are caught to be sold as pets. They are also hunted for bushmeat. Hornbills do not have many babies. This means hunting them puts species like the brown-cheeked hornbill at great risk. Because of these threats, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says this bird is "vulnerable". This means it is at risk of becoming endangered.
