Silvery-cheeked Hornbill
Bycanistes brevis
Avilumen editorial team ·
The silvery-cheeked hornbill is a large species of hornbill found in Africa. Silvery-cheeked hornbills are residents of the tall evergreen forests of East Africa from Ethiopia to South Africa. In Zimbabwe it is threatened by habitat destruction and its presence in South Africa is marginal, but it remains locally fairly common, especially in the northern and central parts of its range.
The silvery-cheeked hornbill (Bycanistes brevis) is a large species of hornbill found in Africa. Silvery-cheeked hornbills are residents of the tall evergreen forests of East Africa from Ethiopia to South Africa. In Zimbabwe it is threatened by habitat destruction and its presence in South Africa is marginal, but it remains locally fairly common, especially in the northern and central parts of its range.
Description
It measures 75 to 80 centimetres (30 to 31 in) in length, and has a very large cream-colored casque on the beak. The head is silver-grey and the rest of the plumage is iridescent black, except for the white rump, lower back, thighs, vent and tip of the outer tail-feathers. The sexes are similar except the female has a smaller casque and reddish skin around the eyes.
Diet
It is omnivorous, feeding on fruits, insects, small birds, rodents, small reptiles and centipedes.
Behaviour
Usually they live in pairs and sometimes roost in flocks of hundreds of individuals. They breed in spring (September and October; at least in part of its range) and lay clutches of one to three white eggs, incubated for 40 days. The young remain with both parents for about 80 days.
Text adapted from Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Bucerotiformes
- Family
- Bucerotidae
- Genus
- Bycanistes
- Conservation status
- Least concern
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Illustration gallery
6 illustrations of Bycanistes brevis (Silvery-cheeked Hornbill) in different styles, true to its real plumage. Shown watermarked; the art pack includes the high-resolution originals, ready to print.
Watercolor 
Vintage plate 
Ink 
Oil 
Realistic 
Colored pencil
Illustrations based on the photograph by Glen Bowman from Newcastle, England (CC BY 2.0), from Wikimedia Commons.
Digital editions
HD Digital Art Pack — Silvery-cheeked Hornbill
Digital download: 6 high-resolution illustrations of the Silvery-cheeked Hornbill (Bycanistes brevis), print-ready. This is a digital file; no animal or physical item is included.
AI Avatar — Silvery-cheeked Hornbill
Generate an avatar fusing your face with the Silvery-cheeked Hornbill (Bycanistes brevis). Delivered digitally in 8K, watermark-free. Digital product; no animals are sold or brokered.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Bycanistes brevis (Silvery-cheeked Hornbill) endangered?
- The IUCN Red List places Bycanistes brevis, commonly known as the Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, in the «Least concern» category. «Least concern» means it is not currently threatened.
- Where does Bycanistes brevis (Silvery-cheeked Hornbill) live?
- Bycanistes brevis (Silvery-cheeked Hornbill) is found in Africa.
- What family does Bycanistes brevis (Silvery-cheeked Hornbill) belong to?
- Bycanistes brevis (Silvery-cheeked Hornbill) belongs to the family Bucerotidae, in the order Bucerotiformes.
- What colour is Bycanistes brevis (Silvery-cheeked Hornbill)?
- The plumage of Bycanistes brevis (Silvery-cheeked Hornbill) combines these colours: Black and White.
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