Bird · GBIF taxon 5788445
White-thighed Hornbill
Bycanistes albotibialisAlso known as White-thighed Casqued Hornbill
White-thighed hornbills are large canopy frugivores whose heavy wingbeats produce a distinct rushing whoosh through the central African rainforest. Breeding females seal themselves inside tree cavities with mud and droppings, relying entirely on their mate to deliver food through a narrow slit while brooding. By roaming widely in search of fruiting trees and dispersing massive seeds intact, they act as vital ecological engineers across the Congo Basin.
Canopy DwellerSeed DisperserFrugivore
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Figs
- Oil Palm Fruits
- Large Beetles
Predators
- Crowned Eagle
- African Rock Python
- Leopard
ThreatsDeforestation from logging, agricultural clearance, and bushmeat hunting
HabitatsPrimary lowland rainforest, swamp forest, and mature secondary forest
Life span15–25 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyBucerotidae
- SpeciesBycanistes albotibialis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Listen for Wingbeats: Detect passing birds by the loud, rhythmic rushing sound of their un-muffled primary flight feathers.
- Monitor Canopy Figs: Stake out fruiting fig trees at dawn when family groups gather noisily to forage.
- Scan Dead Snags: Look for males perching atop exposed canopy limbs between feeding visits to the nest.
Same Genus (c) alanbedfordshaw, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Predator (c) Suvarna Parbhoo Mohan, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Food Plant no rights reserved · cc0
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