Date: 11/20/24 7:09 am From: Jane Rice <moultnews...> Subject: [NHBirds] Program on Hornbills
FYI, Dana and Bob Fox will be presenting on Hornbills on Thursday evening, November 21, at 7 pm at the Loon Center in Moultonborough. Description below.
Jane Rice
Hornbills: A unique Old-World Family of Birds
Dana and Bob are excited to present this talk about the family of birds called Hornbills. Hornbills are an Old-World family of birds which first evolved in Africa over 60 million years ago and then one species radiated to Asia. Today half of the 64 species in the world live in Africa including two land loving species and half in Asia where new species have evolved as far east as the Solomon Islands.
As their name suggests, they have massive bills which are integrally attached to their skulls, and some have an additional special horny crown like protrusion called a casque above their bills. In 1758 Linnaeus bestowed the name Buceros on the family, Latin for “having ox’s horns.”
Another unique feature about most members of this family involves their nesting behavior. Females of almost all species make unique nests in tree cavities using their bills to wall themselves in with a plaster made of mud, droppings, chewed wood and bark and other detritus. They leave only a slit narrow enough to deter predators but sufficiently wide for the male to present food from the outside.
The tree hornbills have become very important distributors of tropical fruit seeds.
Come hear Dana and Bob’s tales of seeing these marvelous birds and see stunning pictures taken by Tim Layman, the intrepid, talented photographer.
