Red-billed Hornbill

Red-billed hornbills (tockus) are a genus of hornbills found in central Africa. This genus includes very similar species.

Description
This group of conspicuous birds have mainly whitish underparts and head, grey upperparts, long tails, and a long and curved red bill which lacks a casque. The sexes are similar, but the female has a smaller bill. They are generally large, at 42 centimetres (17 in) long, but the entire group is considered as one of the smaller hornbills.

Habits
This bird forms flock outside the breeding season.

Breeding
The female lays three to six eggs in a tree hole, and the male blicks her in it with a plaster of mud. There is only one narrow aperture, just big enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks. When the chicks and the female are too big for the nest, the mother breaks out and rebuilds the wall. Then both parents feed the chicks.

Feeding
They feed on insects, fruit and seeds, which are mostly taken on the ground.

Classification
The Red Billed-Hornbill is classified into five different subspecies: the Northern Red-billed Hornbill, the Western Red-Billed Hornbill, the Tanzanian Red-Billed Hornbill, the Southern Red-Billed Hornbill, and the Damara Red-Billed Hornbill. They are a member of Bucerotinae and Tockus.