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Project Noah Nature School
Tockus deckeni
About 50 cm in length, black mantle and white underparts. Black mantle is characteristic, lacking white spots and speckles like most of the genus. However, there is a white patch on wing coverts. Head is white, with grey cheeks and back crown.The beak is massive, bearing no casque. Male (portrayed here) has it red with yellowish tip and black cutting edge.
This hornbill is endemic to East Africa and Rift valley parts of Ethiopia. Here seen in acacia trees on shores of shallow lake Langano, not far away from habitations.
Once again, the quality of the shots is low, but, again, that was my only encounter with this species. These were fired by good old Minolta camera body, using film rolls; and scanned later on. The date of sighting is also rather approximative...
Spotted on Dec 22, 2001
Submitted on Dec 17, 2017
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