Identification
45cm. Grey wings, black primary flight feathers, grey back, brown crown, long tail black with white sides, and the underparts are white. Sexes are similar, although the male has a cream-coloured bill, whereas the female's is black with a cream stripe. Immature birds have dark grey upperparts, a cream bill, and a tail with a white tip.
Distribution
Endemic to Sri Lanka.
Common in parts of its small range.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species which is sometimes considered conspecific with Malabar Grey Hornbill.
Habitat
Forests, parkland and open thorn-forest.
Behaviour
The diet includees mainly figs, occasionally it eats small rodents, reptiles and insects.The nest is a tree hole blocked off during incubation with a cement made of mud, droppings and fruit pulp. There is only one narrow aperture, barely wide enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks. 4 white eggs are laid.
Gallery
Male - Knuckles Mountain Range, Matale, Sri Lanka
Female - Knuckles Mountain Range, Matale, Sri Lanka
Juvenile - Knuckles Mountain Range, Matale, Sri Lanka
No comments:
Post a Comment