Wednesday, September 11, 2013

The Silvery-cheeked hornbill

The Silvery-cheeked hornbill is known scientifically as Bycanistes brevis. It is a large bird at 75 to 80 centimeters in length with a very large creamy casque on the beak. The female has a smaller casque and reddish skin around the eyes. The head is silver-grey and the rest of the plumage is iridescent black, except for the white rump, lower back, thighs, vent and tip of the outer tail-feathers. Silvery-cheeked Hornbills are residents of the tall evergreen forests of East Africa. Disappearance of these birds in your nearby forest is an indicator of disturbance. It visits Nairobi during the cold season. They also breed between September and  October; no wonder a couple was sighted yesterday enjoying a meal of Croton megalocarpus fruits at the National Museums of Kenya. Check the photos below!













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