The southern
yellow-billed hornbill (Tockus
leucomelas) is a hornbill found in southern Africa. Yellow-billed hornbills feed mainly on the
ground, where they forage for seeds, small insects, spiders and scorpions. This
hornbill species is a common and widespread resident of dry thornveldt and
broad-leafed woodlands. They can often be seen along roads and water courses.
It is a medium-sized bird,
48–60 centimetres (19–24 in) in length, 132–242 grams
(0.291–0.534 lb) in weight and is characterized by a long yellow and
down-curved beak. This beak is huge in comparison to its body and can account
for up 1/6th of the entire body length. Male beaks are on average 90 mm
long while female beaks are have an average of 74 mm. Males are generally
bigger than females but there is overlap between the sexes. The size difference
of the beak is a fairly reliable way of differentiating sex in wild hornbills.
Southern yellow-billed
hornbill eats mostly arthropods, particularly termites, beetles, larvae
(beetles and termites), grasshoppers and caterpillars.
[info:wikipedia]
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