Monteiro's Hornbill

Females are smaller than males and can be recognized by turquoise facial skin. The eyes are black and the beak is red. Unlike other members of the family, which are omnivorous, the Monteiro's hornbill feeds exclusively on insects and other small arthropods. Its habitat is the savannah and dry thorn fields of NW Namibia.

The Monteiro's Hornbill is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The Monteiro's Hornbill, Tockus monteiri, is an African Hornbill. It is a medium sized bird, with a length between 54 to 58 cm, characterized by a white belly, black back, with white spots on the wings and secondary flight feathers coloured white. The outer feathers of the long tail are also white. Females are smaller than males and can be recognized by turquoise facial skin. The eyes are black and the beak is red. More

The Monteiro's hornbill is a common endemic species of Namibia, with total population estimated on 340,000 individuals. References - * BirdLife International (2004). Tockus monteiri. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 6 May 2006. More

The Monteiro's hornbill is a common endemic species of Namibia, with total population estimated on 340,000 individuals. The Monteiro's Hornbill, Tockus monteiri, is an African Hornbill. It is a medium sized bird, with a length between 54 to 58 cm, characterized by a white belly, black back, with white spots on the wings and secondary flight feathers coloured white. The outer feathers of the long tail are also white. More

The Monteiro's hornbill is near endemic to southern Africa, occurring in Namibia and Angola. It lives in the driest habitats of any hornbill in the world, preferring desert-like habitats with lots of rocky hills. It feeds mostly on small animals, especially invertebrates, but it may resort to eating seeds, fruit and bulbs in the dry season. It usually nests in tree or rock cavities, although it regularly uses nest boxes. More

Research on Monteiro's hornbill suggests that females emerge to ensure survival when their body condition reaches its lowest point. Male hornbills can be impressive providers. Although many Tockus species carry items to the nest one-by-one, most hornbills collect multiple food items, stuffed into a bulging gullet before delivering a load to the nest. A Sulawesi redknobbed hornbill once delivered 162 fruits in one trip, a load equivalent to nearly 20% of his body weight. More

the Monteiro's hornbill feeds exclusively on insects and other small arthropods. Its habitat is the savannah and dry thorn fields of NW Namibia. In springtime, Monteiro's hornbills migrate to the southern Windhoek region for nesting. Due to the arid environment, drinking is not a vital necessity for this species. They breed in the end of good rainy season, laying 3 to 5 white-greyish eggs, hatched for about 45 days. The nest is built in rocky faces or trees. More