Trumpeter hornbill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Trumpeter hornbill |
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| Male at Lowry Park Zoo in Florida, USA | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Bycanistes
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| Species: |
bucinator
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| Synonyms | |
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Ceratogymna bucinator |
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The trumpeter hornbill (Bycanistes bucinator) is a cool bird found in Africa. It's a medium-sized hornbill, usually about 58 to 65 centimeters (23 to 26 inches) long. These birds are easy to spot because of a big, grey, helmet-like growth on top of their beak. This growth is called a casque. Females have a smaller casque than males.
Trumpeter hornbills have brown or red eyes with pink skin around them. Their bodies weigh between 0.45 and 1 kilogram (1 to 2.2 pounds). You can tell them apart from similar birds because they have an all-black back, a white belly, and white feathers under their wings. When they fly, you can see white tips on their wings. Their face also has red skin.
These birds love to be with others. They usually live in small groups of two to five birds. Sometimes, you might even see groups of up to fifty! They live in warm, wet forests in places like Burundi, Mozambique, Botswana, and parts of South Africa. They enjoy eating fruits and large insects. Just like other hornbills, the female stays sealed inside her nest while she lays and incubates four to five white eggs.
Living with Trumpeter Hornbills
Trumpeter hornbills can be kept by people who care for birds. When they are cared for, they can become very friendly. They are smart birds and can even learn tricks! They enjoy spending time with their human companions.
These active birds need big cages where they have lots of space to move around. It's important to be careful with their diet. They eat a lot of fruit, but too much iron from fruit can make them sick. So, their caretakers need to give them a special diet to keep them healthy. Trumpeter hornbills are very intelligent and can live for up to 20 years!
Trumpeter Hornbill Status
The trumpeter hornbill lives across a large area. Because there are so many of them, they are not considered an endangered species. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists them as "least concern." This means they are not currently at risk of disappearing.
Images for kids
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Male feeding female at artificial nest
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Female in southern Zambia
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Female head in profile
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Male head in profile
