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Hornbills

Hornbills have large, downcurved bills, often topped by a casque whose shape varies greatly between species. Black, white, brown and rufous plumage combines with coloured bills or bare facial skin, while long tails strengthen the outline of many perched birds. Examples include Abyssinian Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus abyssinicus), Tanzanian Red-billed Hornbill (Tockus ruahae), and Bradfield's Hornbill (Lophoceros bradfieldi). Fruit and animal prey contribute in varying proportions, with ground hornbills spending much more time walking and hunting terrestrially. Hornbill profiles vary in casque development, bill curvature and exposed facial skin, with these structures especially clear in a side view.

How to recognize Hornbills

  • Compare bill colour, curvature and the shape of any casque.
  • Check bare facial skin and contrasting areas of the tail.
  • Distinguish arboreal feeding from the long-legged ground-hornbill posture.

Where they live

The family occurs in tropical and subtropical Africa, southern Asia and parts of Melanesia. Tropical forest, woodland and savanna support different hornbills. Large trees provide feeding and cavity sites for many species, while ground hornbills use more open landscapes; this catalogue includes those terrestrial relatives within the same family grouping. A ground-hunting bird in savanna and a fruit-feeding bird high in rainforest require different species comparisons.

Species accounts: Abyssinian Ground Hornbill · Tanzanian Red-billed Hornbill · Bradfield's Hornbill

Sources — natural history: Wikipedia: Hornbills · Cornell Birds of the World: Abyssinian Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus abyssinicus), species natural history.

Classification: IOC World Bird List: family names and classification.

Some Cornell Birds of the World account sections require a subscription.

Updated 2026-11-06. Species counts follow this site's catalogue. This is an editorial summary, not an expert peer review.

Explore similarities in appearance, feeding and habitat. These comparisons do not necessarily indicate the closest evolutionary relatives.

Species records retain their original English, Chinese and scientific names.

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Abyssinian Ground HornbillAbyssinian Ground HornbillBucorvus abyssinicusSouthern Ground HornbillSouthern Ground HornbillBucorvus leadbeateriTanzanian Red-billed HornbillTanzanian Red-billed HornbillTockus ruahaeWestern Red-billed HornbillWestern Red-billed HornbillTockus kempiDamara Red-billed HornbillDamara Red-billed HornbillTockus damarensisSouthern Red-billed HornbillSouthern Red-billed HornbillTockus rufirostrisNorthern Red-billed HornbillNorthern Red-billed HornbillTockus erythrorhynchusMonteiro's HornbillMonteiro's HornbillTockus monteiriVon der Decken's HornbillVon der Decken's HornbillTockus deckeniJackson's HornbillJackson's HornbillTockus jacksoniSouthern Yellow-billed HornbillSouthern Yellow-billed HornbillTockus leucomelasEastern Yellow-billed HornbillEastern Yellow-billed HornbillTockus flavirostrisBradfield's HornbillBradfield's HornbillLophoceros bradfieldiCrowned HornbillCrowned HornbillLophoceros alboterminatusWest African Pied HornbillWest African Pied HornbillLophoceros semifasciatusCongo Pied HornbillCongo Pied HornbillLophoceros fasciatusHemprich's HornbillHemprich's HornbillLophoceros hemprichiiAfrican Grey HornbillAfrican Grey HornbillLophoceros nasutusRed-billed Dwarf HornbillRed-billed Dwarf HornbillLophoceros camurusPale-billed HornbillPale-billed HornbillLophoceros pallidirostrisPiping HornbillPiping HornbillBycanistes fistulatorTrumpeter HornbillTrumpeter HornbillBycanistes bucinatorBrown-cheeked HornbillBrown-cheeked HornbillBycanistes cylindricusWhite-thighed HornbillWhite-thighed HornbillBycanistes albotibialisBlack-and-white-casqued HornbillBlack-and-white-casqued HornbillBycanistes subcylindricusSilvery-cheeked HornbillSilvery-cheeked HornbillBycanistes brevisBlack-casqued HornbillBlack-casqued HornbillCeratogymna atrataYellow-casqued HornbillYellow-casqued HornbillCeratogymna elataWestern Dwarf HornbillWestern Dwarf HornbillHorizocerus hartlaubiEastern Dwarf HornbillEastern Dwarf HornbillHorizocerus grantiWestern Long-tailed HornbillWestern Long-tailed HornbillHorizocerus albocristatusEastern Long-tailed HornbillEastern Long-tailed HornbillHorizocerus cassiniWhite-crowned HornbillWhite-crowned HornbillBerenicornis comatusRhinoceros HornbillRhinoceros HornbillBuceros rhinocerosGreat HornbillGreat HornbillBuceros bicornisRufous HornbillRufous HornbillBuceros hydrocoraxHelmeted HornbillHelmeted HornbillRhinoplax vigilPalawan HornbillPalawan HornbillAnthracoceros marcheiOriental Pied HornbillOriental Pied HornbillAnthracoceros albirostrisMalabar Pied HornbillMalabar Pied HornbillAnthracoceros coronatusSulu HornbillSulu HornbillAnthracoceros montaniBlack HornbillBlack HornbillAnthracoceros malayanusMalabar Grey HornbillMalabar Grey HornbillOcyceros griseusSri Lanka Grey HornbillSri Lanka Grey HornbillOcyceros gingalensisIndian Grey HornbillIndian Grey HornbillOcyceros birostrisTickell's Brown HornbillTickell's Brown HornbillAnorrhinus tickelliAusten's Brown HornbillAusten's Brown HornbillAnorrhinus austeniBushy-crested HornbillBushy-crested HornbillAnorrhinus galeritus