# Tockus camurus The Tockus camurus, also known as the yellow-billed hornbill, is a colorful bird with a big, curved beak. These birds love to eat insects and fruits and can often be seen in pairs or small groups. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Savannas - **Also known as:** Yellow-billed Hornbill ![Tockus camurus](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/A_monograph_of_the_Bucerotid%C3%A6%252C_or_family_of_the_hornbills_%28Plate_LIX%29_%286944171846%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Elliot, Daniel Giraud, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_monograph_of_the_Bucerotid%C3%A6%252C_or_family_of_the_hornbills_%28Plate_LIX%29_%286944171846%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Tockus camurus is a small hornbill with a predominantly dark, glossy body and a white belly. It has a distinctive bright red-orange bill, which is uncasqued, making it stand out from other hornbills with larger head structures. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Bucerotiformes - **Family:** Bucerotidae - **Genus:** Lophoceros ## Interesting facts - The male brings food to the female through a tiny slit while she's sealed in her nest! - Their unique call sounds like a series of soft, accelerating 'tok-tok-tok' notes echoing in the forest. - These little hornbills often forage in mixed-species flocks, seeking out food together with other birds! - They have special neck muscles that help them powerfully swing their big bills to catch food. ## Special abilities - **Forest Acrobats:** Tockus camurus can fly nimbly through dense forest canopy because of their short, rounded wings that help them navigate tight spaces. - **Keen Vision:** Tockus camurus has sharp eyesight that helps them spot tiny insects and ripe fruits hidden among the leaves from a distance. - **Master Builders:** Tockus camurus can seal their nest cavity with mud, leaving a small slit for food, to protect their eggs and chicks from predators. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 30-36 cm - **Wingspan:** 45-55 cm - **Weight:** 0.1-0.15 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-15 years - **Speed:** 35 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-4 - **Incubation:** 24-30 days ## Diet & Feeding These hornbills enjoy a varied diet of insects, spiders, and delicious forest fruits. - **Primary Foods:** beetles, grasshoppers, spiders, berries, small lizards, mantids - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Sandpaper Fig (*Ficus exasperata*) — Disperses seeds by eating its fruit. - **Hunts:** Variegated Grasshopper (*Zonocerus variegatus*) — Preys on this common insect. - **Eaten by:** Cassin's Hawk-eagle (*Aquila africana*) — A predator in its forest habitat. - **Eats:** African Corkwood (*Musanga cecropioides*) — Feeds on its fruits and spreads seeds. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Savanna](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/savanna): This habitat trait denotes species native to savannas, which are grasslands with scattered trees, typically found in tropical or subtropical regions with distinct wet and dry seasons. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Tockus camurus? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Tockus camurus? 30-36 cm ### What is Tockus camurus's wingspan? 45-55 cm ### How much does Tockus camurus weigh? 0.1-0.15 kg ### How long does Tockus camurus live? 10-15 years ### How fast can Tockus camurus move? 35 km/h ### What does Tockus camurus eat? These hornbills enjoy a varied diet of insects, spiders, and delicious forest fruits. ### Where is Tockus camurus usually found? Savannas ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Tockus camurus: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tockus-camurus)