Monteiro's hornbill

Monteiro's hornbill
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Bucerotiformes
Family:	Bucerotidae
Subfamily:	Bucerotinae
Genus:	Tockus
Species:	T. monteiri
Binomial name
Tockus monteiri Hartlaub, 1865
Distribution.

The Monteiro's hornbill (Tockus monteiri) is an African hornbill. It is a medium-sized bird, 54–58 cm (21–23 in) in length, characterized by a white belly, black back, with white spots on the wings and white secondary flight feathers. 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. Unlike other hornbills, 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 northwest Namibia.

In springtime, Monteiro's hornbills migrate to the southern Windhoek region to nest. They are adapted to the arid environment, and drinking is not a vital necessity for them. They breed at the end of a good rainy season, laying 3 to 5 greyish-white eggs, which hatch after about 45 days. The nest is built in rocky faces or trees. The Monteiro's hornbill is a common endemic species of Namibia, with total population estimated at 340,000 individuals.

Gallery

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  In Spitzkoppe (Namibia).

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External links

• Monteiro's hornbill - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.