Hemprich's Hornbill

Hemprich - Toko ( Tockus hemprichii )

The Hemprich - Toko ( Tockus hemprichii ) is an African bird that belongs to the hornbills ( Bucerotidae ).

Appearance

The Hemprich - Toko is 56-58 cm long and has a dark red beak and brown eyes. The plumage is dark brown, only the belly and outer tail feathers are white. The large and middle coverts are outlined in white. The female is distinguished by a shorter, thinner beak and by slightly yellow mouth. The Hemprich - Toko differs from the smaller Kronentoko by a longer bill without horn and more white in the plumage.

Dissemination

The Hemprich - Toko is a resident of rocky terrain and canyons in semi- arid areas. The distribution area includes Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, northern Sudan to Southeast, Northeast and Northern Uganda and northwestern Kenya.

Formerly the North Kenyan birds were regarded as a separate subspecies ( Tockus hemprichii exsul ).

Food

The diet consists of insects, small mammals, frogs, fruits and seeds.

Behavior

The Hemprich - Toko nests mainly in natural cavities in trees. The female usually lays four eggs, which are incubated 30 days. The young birds remain with both parents together for about eight weeks.