Whilst birding the bottom of the Raydah
Escarpment in late March I saw up to ten African Grey Hornbills Tockus
nasutus. This is a very high number as normally only one or two birds are
seen. All birds appeared to be in pairs with loud calling being seen and heard
from some birds on a couple of occasions. The birds were located in the large
wadi system at the bottom of the escarpment where large trees grow from the
bottom of the mainly boulder strewn wadi. The African Grey Hornbill is a small member
of the hornbill family being only 45 centimetres long. It is a widespread and
common resident breeder in much of Sub-Saharan Africa and into Arabia, where
numbers are much less common. In Saudi Arabia, birds can be seen in the
southwest of the Kingdom where they are uncommon. Like most Hornbills the
species prefers open woodland and savannah. The female lays two to four eggs in
a tree hollow, which is blocked off during incubation with a cement made of
mud, droppings and fruit pulp. There is only one narrow aperture, just big
enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks. When the
chicks and female outgrow the nest, the mother breaks out and rebuilds the
wall, after which both parents feed the chicks. The plumage of the male and
female is similar but the male has a black bill, whereas the female has red on
the mandibles. Immature birds are more uniformly grey and all fly with an
undulating flight. They are omnivorous, taking insects, fruit and reptiles.
