Bird Guide

Southern Red-billed Hornbill vs Von der Decken's Hornbill

Southern Red-billed Hornbill (Tockus rufirostris)

Southern Red-billed Hornbill

Tockus rufirostris

150 gWoodland

The sexes are similar, but males are larger and heavier. Males also have somewhat longer bills, with the lower mandible coloured black to a variable extent. It is distinguishable from other red-billed hornbills by the combination of yellow iris and pale orbital skin (pink to greyish), and the ample blackish plumage streaking from the ear coverts to the side of the neck. The throat is white, and the wing coverts clearly spotted.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0
Von der Decken's Hornbill (Tockus deckeni)

Von der Decken's Hornbill

Tockus deckeni

Medium168 gGrassland

This species is a small hornbill with blackish upperparts and mainly whitish underparts and head. It has a long tail and a long curved bill which lacks a casque. It is similar to the red-billed hornbill except for the bill colour and the lack of spotting on the wing coverts in both male and female. The species shows sexual dimorphism; the female has a black bill, whereas the male has a red bill with a cream tip and a black cutting edge.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Mara 1 from Scotland · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Southern Red-billed Hornbill and Von der Decken's Hornbill.