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Bucerotiformes - Hornbills, Hoopoes

 

 

Classification

 Kingdom: Animalia
 Phylum: Chordata
 Class: Aves
 Order: Bucerotiformes

Tunicate ColonyThere are over 70 species in this order. They are found in Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Hornbills are all found in the tropic regions of Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific. They live in a variety of habitats including the desert, the grasslands, and the forest. They are omnivorous and eat insects, fruit, birds, and other small animals. The have large bills topped with horny plates called casques. In most species the casque is hollow. Hornbills are usually large birds and vary in coloring.

There are only two living species of hoopoes. The common hoopoe is found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Madagascar hoopoe is only found in Madagascar. Hoopoes live in dry, warm, open areas.

Wood-hoopoes and scimitarbills are all found in live in open woodlands in Africa south of the Sahara Desert.

There are 2 species of ground hornbills, the northern ground hornbill and the southern ground hornbill. They are both found in sub-Sahran Africa.

  Families

  Bucerotidae (hornbills)

  Phoeniculidae (wood-hoopoes, Scimitarbills)
  Upupidae (hoopoes)