Black-casqued Hornbill

Also known as Black-casqued Wattled Hornbill

Black-casqued hornbills are massive forest birds recognizable by their loud, rhythmic wingbeats that echo through the canopy like an approaching steam locomotive. They play a vital ecological role as primary seed dispersers across Central and West African rainforests, consuming vast quantities of native fruits and flying long distances across forest gaps. During nesting, females seal themselves inside hollow trees with mud and droppings, relying entirely on the male to deliver food through a narrow slot until the chick fledges.