Hornbill (Von der Decken's)

The Von der Decken's hornbill measures approximately 17-20 inches and has mainly white plumage on its body with black wings and a tail. The male has a red and ivory two-tone bill. The female has a black bill. Neither the male nor the female have a hollow outgrowth casque on their bill

During incubation, the female lays two or three white eggs in a tree hole, which is blocked off with a cement made of mud, droppings and fruit pulp. There is only one narrow aperture, just big enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks.

When the chicks and the female are too big to fit in the nest, the mother breaks out and rebuilds the wall, then both parents feed the chicks.

Photographed at Reid Zoo, Tucson, AZ