Home»All Photographs»Birds»Birds in Families»098 - Hornbills (Bucerotidae)

The hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly colored and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandible. Both the common Englishand the scientific name of the family refer to the shape of the bill, "buceros" being "cow horn" in Greek. Hornbs have a two-lobed kidney. They are the only birds in which the first and second neck vertebrae (the atlas and axis respectively) are fused together; this probably provides a more stable platform for carrying the bill. The family is omnivorous, feeding on fruit and small animals. They are monogamous breeders nesting in natural cavities in trees and sometimes cliffs.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornbill