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Von der Decken's Hornbill

Tockus deckeni

Published on Project Noah
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-2.41621, 34.6856

Field Notes

Description:

Both males and females have white underbellies and dark gray or blackish upper feathers. Males have a red bill with a cream-coloured tip and black edges. Females have a black beak with no markings.

Habitat:

Thorn and semi-arid areas. Found in East African from Ethiopia down to Tanzania.

Notes:

This tree by our camp site was full of birds. The two Hornbills here are Male with the colored beak and a juvenile with the dull beak. The hidden superb starling can be seen on:
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/8765004

Species ID Suggestions

Von der Decken's Hornbill

Tockus deckeni

Reference Link
Malcolm Wilton-Jones
3

Comments (6)
Malcolm Wilton-Jones
OK that's fine, you can make the Starling a separate spotting. Just a small point, the one with the bare (whitish) bill is a juvenile, the female has a very dark or black bill.
annmarie.salem
thanks! I have a clearer picture of the other bird which I also believe to be a Superb Starling
Malcolm Wilton-Jones
Hello again, your picture did not look quite right for a Red-billed Hornbill so a couple of us have checked further and it is actually a Von der Decken's Hornbill. You should now be able to update the details we have sent you. We think the other bird is a Superb Starling.
Malcolm Wilton-Jones
Welcome to Project Noah Annmarie, we hope you enjoy your stay here. Once you have read our FAQs page and found your way around our site you will hopefully be able to fill out more details of this spotting using the "edit this spotting" link. In the habitat field you can put the habitat in which you saw it, the description can explain the differences between the male, female and young, you appear to have two of these here, and the notes can make a mention of the colourful bird in the background, perhaps a starling?

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Birds of Africa
Photographed
PublishedJanuary 31, 2012

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