Yellow-billed hornbill

Description:

They have a white belly, grey neck, and black back with abundant white spots and stripes. They feed mainly on the ground, where they forage for seeds, small insects, spiders and scorpions. They have also been known to eat rodents, chameleons, frogs, snakes and bird eggs. Termites and ants are a preferred food source in the dry season. They nest in holes in trees and like other hornbills (see my photo of the red-billed hornbill), the female seals herself in until the young are old enough to begin feeding themselves. They use millipedes in their nests, and it is thought that secretions from the insects might help protect the mother and young from bacteria.

Habitat:

They live in Southern Africa and are often found in dry thorn fields, woodlands and along roads.

Notes:

The first photo was from 2009 in the Kruger National Park, South Africa; the second one was taken in February 2011 in the Etosha National Park, Namibia.