Silvery-cheeked Hornbill

Description:

Here, a couple of Silvery-cheeked Hornbills, large and heavy black-and-white birds. Black wings (including underwing coverts), black head, neck and chest, and white back, belly and outer tail feathers. Headside feathers have silvery tips, causing pale face appearance. Both sexes sport large and heavy, creamy-coloured beaks with casque - male's casque (Ph 2 and 3) is massive, while those of female (photo 1) and juvenile are of reduced size.

Habitat:

Sub-saharan bird, found on eastern side of the continent; locally common resident and local nomad. Chooses montane and coastal forests as habitat; here observed in montane forest near Awasa lake and town; a place very rich in wildlife, and birdlife in particular.

Notes:

Lake Awassa (or Hawassa) is a part of main Ethiopian Rift Valley series of lakes, situated at some 1700 m of altitude. Like most of Rift lakes in Ethiopian highlands, this is an endorreic lake (landlocked mass of water having no outlet and not connected to the sea), and as such surrounded by marshes that regulate its levels through evaporation. Because of marshes and its forested shores, the lake is known as birdwatcher's paradise - very rich with various waders. Unfortunately, many of these marshes, or at least those of an easy access to visitors are very polluted by plastic garbage - mainly plastic bottles and bags...