Grey hornbill
Tockus nasutus
ML-02
Male, Etosha National Park, Namibia, July 2002
Fuji Provia 100F, Sigma EX 100-300/f4 + Sigma EX 1.4x teleconverter, Minolta 800Si, on a beanbag
Measurements: Length 43-48 cm, weight 215-250 g
Identification: Size medium; generally dull greyish above and on throat and breast, rest of underparts whitish; tail brownish, tipped white; eyes dark, male bilss black, with a cream wedge-shaped patch on upper jaw, 3-4 diagonal white ridges on lower jaw, tips of female upper and lower jaws reddish, base creamy yellow, rest black with 3-4 diagonal white ridges; legs and feet black, soles white
Voice: High-pitched whistled call, starting off with few lower notes, woop-woop-woop, weep-weep-weep-weep, weep-weep, weep-weep, etc.; whistles sometimes interspersed with clicking sounds, often calls in chorus
Distribution: Africa south of Sahara, southern Arabia; in southern Africa absent from most of highveld, Natal, Cape, southern Namibia and treeless Kalahari sandveld
Sources:
Maclean, Gordon Lindsay. 2001. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund
