Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill
|
|
| Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Ocyceros gingalensis Shaw, 1811 |
Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros gingalensis) is a hornbill. Hornbills are a family of tropical near-passerine birds found in the Old World.
Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill is a widespread and common endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka.
This is a gregarious bird mainly of forest habitats. The female lays up to four white eggs in a tree hole, which is blocked off during incubation 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.
This is a large bird, at 45cm in length. It has grey wings, with black primary flight feathers, a grey back, and brown crown. The long tail is blackish with white sides, and the underparts are white. The long curved bill has no casque.
Sexes are similar, but the male has an all cream-coloured bill, whereas the female's is mainly black with a cream stripe. Immature birds are have mainly dark grey upperparts, a cream bill, and the tail is white only at the tip.
This hornbill is largely arboreal and feeds mostly on figs, though it also eats small rodents, reptiles and insects. The flight is slow and powerful.
Reference
- Birds of India by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp, ISBN 0-691-04910-6