Silvery-cheeked Hornbill Bycanistes brevis Scientific name definitions

60–70 cm; male 1265–1400 g, female 1050–1450 g. Medium-sized to large black hornbill with noticeable silvery-grey feathering on face; white back, rump and tail-coverts, broad white tips to outer tail feathers, and yellowish line across base of dark brown bill. Male has casque large and curved , cream-coloured; circumorbital skin blue-black. Female smaller than male, with casque smaller and darker; pink  circumorbital skin. Juvenile without whitish facial feathers, bill small, lacks casque.

Ethiopian Highlands, SE South Sudan and C Kenya S to E & S Tanzania, N & S Malawi, C Mozambique and SE Zimbabwe; status uncertain in Eritrea.

Inhabits montane and coastal evergreen forest, extending to gallery, riverine and tall deciduous forest and woodland; occurs at up to 2600 m.

Makes long flights in search of fruiting trees, including from communal roosts of up to 200 birds, often with B. bucinator. Nomadic flocks form mainly in dry non-breeding season. Recorded as vagrant in NE Zambia and NE South Africa.

Mainly fruit  , from at least 26 plant genera, especially cherry-sized drupes and figs; some small animals , mainly insects, but also spiders, centipedes, lizards, and birds and nest contents. Forages mainly among foliage , but some food taken on the wing; sometimes descends to ground  to feed. Rarely, drinks water.

A series of loud, nasal barks “aanh...aanh...aanh...aanh...”. Also more growling or braying calls. Quite vocal.

Lays in Feb–Jul in Ethiopia, in Oct–Nov in Kenya, and in Aug–Nov in Tanzania and farther S. Monogamous in pairs. Nest in natural cavity 7–25 m up in large tree; both sexes seal nest entrance with mud pellets formed by male. Clutch 1–2 eggs; incubation 40 days; chick skin changes from pink to dark grey within few days of hatching; male feeds female with fruits regurgitated at nest, up to 69 fruits per visit and up to 24 visits daily, estimated 24,000 fruits delivered in total of 1600 visits over entire nesting cycle; female remains in nest until chick fledges, usually moults all remiges and rectrices together; fledging 77–80 days; whole nesting cycle 107–138 days.

Not globally threatened. Locally common, but with patchy distribution, and erratic occurrence in marginal habitats and during droughts. Locally vulnerable to deforestation, but does use variety of habitats, and able to move about in search of food and nesting sites.