Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill

Bycanistes subcylindricus

Plasters its mate inside a nest cavity with mud and dung, then feeds her figs through a slit for weeks.

Population: Not quantified globally; described as locally uncommon to common (more consistently common in central/eastern Africa than in the west), with a suspected declining population trend
Habitat: Subtropical/tropical moist lowland and montane forest, transition zones between evergreen and secondary forest, and tall deciduous woodland; requires primary forest with large trees for nesting cavities; found from sea level to 2,600 m, tolerant of some plantation/cultivated habitat but avoids heavily degraded forest and dry savanna
Fun fact: Males and females can be told apart at a glance by their casque (the bony helmet-like structure atop the bill) and eye color — males have a larger, more prominent black casque and red eyes, while females have a smaller casque, a black bill, and brown eyes.
Range: West, Central and East Africa: from Sierra Leone/Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire east through Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic to Sudan, DR Congo (Zaire), Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, with an isolated population in northern Angola; extent of occurrence ~7,600,000 km²
Diet: Predominantly frugivorous (figs, Ficus spp. make up the bulk of intake, roughly 90%), supplemented by opportunistic hunting of small animals including lizards, insects, snails, bats, and the eggs/nestlings of other birds; obtains most water from food
Size: 0.65 m
Wingspan: 0.83 m
Lifespan: 20 years

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