Order Bucerotiformes / Hornbills and Hoopoes

Here are some exciting and crucial facts about them:

• These birds can be found in Africa to Asia and Papua New Guinea.
• The most prominent feature of the birds in this order is the presence of large, hard bills.
• Some birds, in this order – hornbills in particular – have prominent casques over the bills.
• The plumage of these birds is varied: from black and brown to white and cream.
• The birds have bare parts on the hands and legs which are usually brightly colored.
• The presence of the casque is unique to the hornbill family.
• The casque of hornbills develops with time and is hollow inside. The casque serves as a resonating chamber that helps with specific sounds that giant hornbills produce.
• Males are usually bigger than females. The casques and bills are also more prominent in males compared to females and are instruments of competition during the mating season.
• There are both short-legged and long-legged species in this order.
• These birds feed predominantly on insects, gathering them from the ground or finding them under the bark with the help of their sharp bills.
• Some of the birds also eat fruit and seeds, playing a crucial role in the tree’s dissemination.
• These birds are usually medium to large, with large heads and prominent eyes.
• Some of the hornbill species are known for unique nesting behavior. The female finds a hole in a tree or a rock, and the male seals the female with eggs in the nest, leaving a small hole for breathing and feeding.
• The Buceriotiformes birds usually lay several eggs. The eggs hatch in around 23-42 days and the nesting period lasts about 39-50 days.
• The chicks can fly immediately after the “seal” on the nest is broken.
• Ground hornbills do not seal their females in nests.
• This bird order also contains hoopoes – birds of more slender build, with longer, thinner bills that feed predominantly on insects in the ground.
• Hoopoes are known to have smelly nests and do not seal their females either.
• These birds are endangered almost everywhere and play a crucial part in their respective ecosystems.

Here are some examples of the birds that belong to this order:

• African Grey Hornbill, Tockus nasutus
• Red-billed hornbill, Tockus erythrorhynchus
• Pied Hornbill, Tockus fasciatus
• Sri Lanka grey hornbill, Ocyceros gingalensis
• African Hoopoe, Upupa Africana
• Eurasian Hoopoe, Upupa epops
• Green-Wood Hoopoer, Phoeniculus purpureus
• Scimitarbill, Rhinopomastus minor
• Trumpeter Hornbill, Bycanistes bucinator
• Southern Ground Hornbill, Bucorvus leadbeateri