Like the toucan, the hornbill has an extremely large beak, but the two birds must not be confused. The hornbill’s beak is different because it continues above the bird’s head to form a sort of knob that looks like a helmet.

There are forty-five different species of hornbills, with loud, croaking voices and flapping wings. Their strong beaks can break the shells of the hardest nuts, but hornbills will also eat insects and small animals.

Most hornbills build their nests in a hollow tree. The male bird imprisons the female inside her nest by walling her in with dried mud while she hatches the eggs and cares for the young until they can fly. He leaves a small slit in the mud wall and through this he feeds his mate during the whole period she is sitting on the eggs.