A small hornbill that is mostly black, including on the tail. Female is entirely black with a blackish-gray bill; male has a conspicuous cream-colored face and a pale bill. Juvenile looks like a male with a smaller bill. Found in groups at middle to upper levels of lowland and foothill forests. Notably smaller than Knobbed Hornbill, and differs in the black tail, the lack of a prominent casque, and the pale face of males. Noisy vocalizations include an excited, bracing series of notes sometimes given in an extended sequence: “kerok-tee-kerok-tee-kerok-tee-tee…”.