20 interesting facts about the Crowned hornbill, Lophoceros alboterminatus

Crowned hornbills, scientific name Lophoceros alboterminatus, are a species of bird found in southern Africa. They are large birds, with a distinctive appearance that includes a black and white pattern on their bodies and a bright yellow bill with a red casque on top.

Here are 20 interesting facts about crowned hornbills:

1. Crowned hornbills are social birds that live in small family groups or flocks.
2. They have a unique courtship ritual where the male will feed the female through a small hole in the nest while she is incubating the eggs.
3. The hornbill’s beak is used for many tasks including cracking open hard-shelled fruit, feeding young, and even as a tool for building their nests.
4. Their bill is also used as a musical instrument by some cultures, as it produces a distinctive, resonant sound when struck.
5. Crowned hornbills are omnivorous, feeding on a variety of fruits, insects, and small animals.
6. They have a slow and deliberate flight, flapping their wings slowly and soaring on thermals.
7. Crowned hornbills are known for their loud calls, which can be heard for miles.
8. They are believed to have a lifespan of up to 25 years in the wild.
9. The birds have a low reproductive rate, producing only one to two eggs per breeding season.
10. Crowned hornbills are considered to be a keystone species, playing a crucial role in the dispersal of seeds and maintaining the balance of the ecosystem.
11. The birds are rated as “Least Concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
12. They are found in a variety of habitats, including savannas, woodlands, and forests.
13. Crowned hornbills have a symbiotic relationship with certain species of bees, which build their nests in the hornbill’s abandoned nests.
14. The birds are also culturally important, featuring in folklore and traditional medicine in some cultures.
15. In some African cultures, the hornbill is considered to be a messenger between the gods and humans.
16. Crowned hornbills are excellent at imitating sounds, and are sometimes kept as pets for their ability to mimic human speech.
17. They have a patch of bare skin around their eyes, which changes color depending on their mood and health.
18. The birds use their long, curved tails to balance while they are perched and to steer while they are flying.
19. Crowned hornbills are known to fly long distances in search of food and mates.
20. They have a unique defense mechanism where the female will seal herself and her eggs inside the nest with a mixture of food and feces, creating a barrier to protect the eggs from predators.