Hornbills

Hornbills are very interesting birds! They live in tropical forests, for example in Africa and South-East Asia. Guess how many species of hornbills we know? About 57! That's quite a lot.

What they look like

Hornbills got their name because of their large, brightly coloured beaks. These beaks are bent downwards and are oddly shaped. But even though the beaks are large, they are quite light because they have a lot of hollow space inside them, like a balloon. These beaks help the birds to shout loudly and talk to each other. They come in black, white, grey, and brown feathers. They come in sizes ranging from as small as a tennis ball to as large as a small child. Weights can range from one large apple to 6kg, which is like a whole bag of apples!

What they eat

Hornbills can eat almost anything they can find. They love insects, small animals, shellfish, and even fruits, berries, and seeds. When they want to eat something, they can't just grab it with the tip of their beak. Instead, they have to toss the food up, catch it so that it goes straight down their throat, and only then can they swallow it. It looks really funny!

How rhinoceros birds make their homes

Hornbills have a very interesting way of making homes for their little chicks. The first thing a daddy rhinoceros bird does is look for a good hollow in a tree. Then he invites the mama bird to see that hollow. If she is pleased, they become a pair.

The mama rhino then bricked up the entrance to the hollow tree from the inside. She uses clay and pieces of wood that Papa Rhino brought. She does this to protect herself and future chicks from predators.

Through the small hole that remains, the papa rhino bird feeds the mum and the chicks with fruit that he has almost digested. It sounds strange, but it's good food for the chicks!

But there's one problem: it gets messy in the hollow tree. Some mum birds solve this problem by throwing the dirt outside through a small hole. Others use bedding to soak up trash and food scraps.

When mum and chicks are ready to leave the hollow tree, they destroy the bricked up entrance and fly outside. After this, mum and dad continue to feed the chicks. Some mums then wall up the hollow tree entrance again to keep the chicks safe. It sounds like hard work, doesn't it? But it's their way of taking care of their babies.