Von der Decken’s hornbill
Tockus deckeni
Von der Decken’s hornbills are highly curious birds that are well accustomed to being around humans. They tend to be very vocal throughout the day while communicating with one another. Hornbills nest in large holes in hollow trees. The pair will seal the female inside the nest, with a mud and saliva wall that dries hard in the African sun. A small hole is all that is left so that the male can hunt and pass food to the female and chicks. She will only leave this nest once all of the chicks are fully fledged.
The average hornbill can be up to 35 centimetres long. It can weigh up to 212 grams.
IUCN red list status
The IUCN status of the Von der Decken’s hornbill is least concern.
For more information on classifications visit www.iucnredlist.org.
Animal class
Bird
Conservation status
The IUCN does not believe that the Von der Decken’s hornbill will be facing extinction in the near future.
Habitat
Grasslands and Savannah
Population
It is not known how many Von der Decken’s hornbills there are in the wild.
Diet
Omnivore. These hornbills like to eat seeds, insects and small mice. They also eat fruits such as papaya, apples and cantaloupe.