The Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill is distributed to evergreen forests and savanna across equatorial Africa, in central and western Africa.
Females have a smaller casque and a black bill. The purpose of the casque is unknown for males, although suggested to be for sexual characterization.
The black-and-white-casqued hornbill has very mobile eyes which is not a common trait in birds.
This means that its eyes themselves can move in their socket, while other birds tend to have to move their heads to see.
It is capable of displaying emotions through the feathers at the top of the head, which allows it to communicate its emotional state.
Black-and-white-casqued hornbills are quite vocal, with a large repertoire of calls, one of which can be heard from a distance of 2km.
A monogamous species. Pairs commonly nest in naturally formed cavities 9 to 30 m high in large (>3 m circumference) rainforest trees.
Due to the rarity of these nesting cavities, there is a high degree of intraspecific competition for nesting sites. In order to protect their nest, pairs seal the cavity with mud pellets collected by the male. Inside, the female lays a clutch of 2 eggs, which are white in color with pitted shells. The eggs are incubated for 42 days while the male delivers food to the female hourly through a small slit, regurgitating numerous fruits, mammals, and insects. The male can bring up to 200 fruits per visit.
Usually, only one offspring is reared, with the chick from the second-laid egg dying of starvation. Newly hatched chicks have pink skin and open their eyes at 20 days of age. The offspring fledge in 70 to 79 days and can feed themselves by 40 to 72 days after fledging.
The diet consists mainly of figs, fruits, insects, and small animals found in the trees. Black-and-white-casqued hornbills are mainly frugivorous, with fruit comprising 90% of their diet, 56% belonging to Ficus species. They forage by hopping from branch to branch in the rainforest canopy and reaching for fruit with the tip of the bill, which they then swallow whole. This species is known to consume over 41 plant genera. The black-and-white-casqued hornbill does not consume water directly and seems to instead hydrate itself from the water contained in the fruits that represent most of its diet.
Black-and-white-casqued hornbills mediate seed dispersal of rainforest trees, by defecating or regurgitating seeds.
Carnivores, apes, monkeys, snakes, raptors, and humans all prey on these hornbills.
#Birdsofeastafrica
#visituganadarwandatanzania
Charlotte Williams is a
highly respected and increasingly celebrated British fine artist with a
particular interest in wildlife. She is entirely self-taught and was
drawing her first animal portraits as young as nine years old.
Despite being afforded a scholarship to Farnham Art College
in her late teens, she headed instead for South Africa and the ‘bush’, where
she spent several years living and working on a game reserve in the Eastern
Transvaal. Immersed in the raw environment of the veldt, it was here
that Charlotte’s life-long passion for animals and the wild was born, and
where she passed many hundreds of hours wandering, observing and sketching all
that she saw.
On her return to the
UK in the mid-1990s, Charlotte continued to dedicate herself to art,
this time in Brighton. She went on to exhibit her work in numerous shows -
locally, and in London. She has since been in great demand and
the majority of her work today is by commission, both at home and
abroad.
Charlotte’s consuming affection for wildlife
conservation has remained paramount, and her depiction of Cecil The Lion,
who lived primarily in the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, has become one of
her iconic portraits. She later auctioned the portrait to
raise funds and awareness of the battle against poaching, and she today
continues to support myriad conservation enterprises and wildlife foundations
across the globe.
Each of Charlotte’s meticulous artworks aims to capture the
soul and spirit of her subjects, from behind the eyes, so that you might know
them and feel them, as if they were living and breathing before you. Her
appreciation of wild animals, coupled with her unapologetic perfectionism -
enable her to create paintings and drawings that are unique and wholly
authentic.
Though now based in her studio in rural East Sussex since
2010 she has an ever growing global following on social media and has
recently been made a signature member of Artists For Conservation. She is
represented by numerous people, including the prestigious London and Sussex
based gallery Rountree Tryon and has exhibited at, amongst others, Masterpiece
Art and Gallery Different in London
.
If one trophy hunter can spend $200,000 to hunt exotic animals and say it is not about killing, and it is about helping wildlife conservation is he/she being realistic? Wouldn't one say if it is not about the thrill of killing an animal and it is about the love you have for wildlife then why not use the money in a way that saves our wildlife and their future?
Isn't Trophy hunting more about the money versus conservation? Breeding and raising wildlife is a million-dollar business. Do you believe it is about conservation or about the money that flows into one's pocket?
Let us take a look at one organization in Texas that claims to be about conservation: This organization run by 2 people has convinced wildlife lovers and organizations that they care about conservation and with this approach has easily raised millions of dollars to get the business up and running!
Mojostreaming has spoken with the founder and he believes we are not fully educated on what the organization is about. We have invited him to be our guest on our talk show to help us better understand. We are still waiting on his reply.
We encourage you to look up wildlife ranching in America (most are in Texas) One rancher received over 11 million from investors and I believe they easily convince people they are about conservation versus making money off of selling exotic animals to zoos and making money off of enclosed trophy hunting where people easily pay 10,000+ for a kill.
Please research and see what you find and come up with your own impressions.
Let us watch this news documentary and ask yourself if it is okay to kill 8 to 14 other wild animals to bait one leopard so you can kill that one leopard. The fee to participate in this sport cost over 26,000 with the loss of up to 15 animals. Why? just so you can place the head on your wall, take a photo and brag to your friends, and then sell the skin for you to make money off of? Then tell yourself that you love wildlife and you are helping conservation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NdopGBtb0A
ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE IS A HUGE PROBLEM- it generates millions of dollars at the expense of the species. Many animals are on the brink of extinction and one country to blame is the United States of America because that is where the big buyers come from: Click on the link below to learn more:
Not only do we have to worry about the illegal trade of wildlife we have to worry about whether our Zoos are participating in such acts.
Please watch: mojostreaming.com
We can also debate hunting in your local state to control wild animals such as deer, raccoons, turkey, and more. We are not doing enough to make sure hunters are following proper protocol. Are licenses being purchased? Are they tagging and reporting their kill and keeping it to their assigned limit? Are they baiting- using salt block, night cameras, feeding stations? Are they using dogs, scents, and other enticing products to fool the animal? Are they hunting in enclosed fencing like they do in Peru, Indiana? Are they dumping the carcass or taking it to the properly assigned stations for their area? Are they hunting for food or for the trophy and bragging rights? Are they completing the proper permits to be on someone's property, and tagging their stand? It is easy to not follow such guidelines when you have stores like Rural King promoting special feed, salt blocks, and other baiting products during hunting season. How about the hunting contest that is going on in America.
Coyotes were killed at the Southern Illinois Predator Challenge in 2017. COURTESY OF MARC AYERS/HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES
Hippopotamus is also commonly known as Water-Horse. Hippos are the third-largest land mammal after the elephant and the rhinoceros. Weighing in at 1,500–1,800 kg (3,300–4,000 lb.), an adult male stands up to 1.5m (4.5 feet) at the shoulder, and, oddly enough, their closest living relatives are whales and dolphins. Hippos spend most of their days submerged in water to keep cool, as they have no sweat glands.
Though they have webbed feet, their huge bulk prevents them from floating and they cannot swim. Their size does not, however, prevent them from outrunning a human - hippos have been estimated to reach terrifying speeds of up to 30 or even 40km per hour on land.
An adult hippo can spend as long as six minutes underwater, and their raised eyes, ears and nostrils allow them to remain almost entirely submerged for long periods of time. After spending the day bathing, hippos venture out at dusk and spend the night grazing, travelling up to 8km (5 miles) and consuming up to 68kg (150lbs) of grass each night to maintain their enormous size.
When hippos sleep in the water during the day they generally prefer to sleep in areas of shallower water. They are not standing or floating when you see them sleeping but rather laying flat on their bellies. Despite being semiaquatic and having webbed feet, an adult hippo is not a particularly good swimmer nor can it float. It is rarely found in deep water; when it is, the animal moves by porpoise-like leaps from the bottom.
#AfricantripswithGodie
#visitUgandarwandatanzania #Mammalsofeastafrica
Uganda earned its status as a bucket list destination thanks
to the country’s most famous residents, the majestic mountain gorilla. The
thrill of trekking through Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and spending time
in the presence of these extraordinary animals draws travelers from around the
world, but there’s so much more to Uganda than awe-inspiring apes.
This astonishingly diverse country which Winston Churchill
famously dubbed the ‘Pearl of Africa’ is also home to tree-climbing lions, some
of the rarest bird species on the planet like the African-Green Broadbill
and the spectacular natural scenery that will leave you in awe.
Are you an animal activists or you are a conservationist, or you are just a nature lover or both, If you’re ready to start planning the ultimate Uganda
itinerary, read on for a list of remarkable experiences from wildlife viewing
to cultural attractions that can’t be missed.
Elephant surrounded by grass and trees in Uganda
Spot four of the Big Five on safari in Uganda- © Godfrey
Elasmus.
1. Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest Reserve
Chimpanzee trekking offers a completely different experience
to a traditional gorilla trekking tour. Rather than observing gentle giants in
a quiet, intimate setting, you’ll follow a boisterous group of chimps as they
leap and scamper through Budongo Forest Reserve, heading in whatever direction
the agile animals lead you.
The reserve is home to nearly 700 of these playful primates
including six groups habituated for trekking. Knowledgeable guides follow the
chimps’ daily movements and lead groups of up to six people into their habitat.
Much like on a gorilla trek, it can take anywhere from 30
minutes to a full day to locate a group of chimpanzees, which provides ample
time for participants to learn about the forest’s ecology before spending an
hour watching a chimp family play and go about their daily lives in the wild.
Chimpanzee swinging from tree branches in Uganda
Add chimpanzee trekking to your Uganda itinerary-© Godfrey
Elasmus.
2. Look up for the tree-climbing lions in Queen
Elizabeth National Park
Not only is Queen Elizabeth National Park home to four of
the Big Five safari animals (lion, leopard, elephant, and Cape buffalo), it’s
also one of the few places on the continent where you can see a wonderfully
rare wildlife sighting: tree-climbing lions.
the wide branches of acacia and sycamore fig trees to catch a cool breeze and
avoid insect bites on the ground-a unique behavior that’s rarely exhibited in
other lion populations. If your safari guide shouts “lions!” in this region,
remember to look up rather than out at the grasslands.
equator. Monuments on both sides of the road mark the exact spot of latitude
00, a perfect photo opportunity.
Lion in the grass in Uganda
Look for lions on the ground and up in trees in Queen
Elizabeth National Park-©Godfrey Elasmus
3. Spot rare bird species in Uganda’s parks
If you’re a birding enthusiast, prepare to be wowed: Uganda
is home to more than half of Africa’s bird species, and it’s one of the richest
birding destinations on the continent. Visitors from across the globe flock to
Uganda hoping to get a glimpse of more than 1,000 species, including several
found nowhere else on Earth.
as 200 species in a single day. Keep an eye out for the prehistoric-looking
shoebill stork, considered one of the most desirable bird sightings in Africa;
the colorful African green broadbill found in Bwindi Impenetrable National
Park; and one of the world’s rarest birds: the elusive Shelley’s crimson wing
(which can be found in Bwindi and Kibale National Park).
Uganda is an excellent destination for birding enthusiasts.
4. Ride the Nile to Murchison Falls
Majestic waterfalls draw visitors to Murchison Falls
National Park, and a boat trip along the Nile River to their base is one of
Uganda’s signature wildlife activities.
personal with an abundance of wildlife, including hippos, Nile crocodiles,
elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, and plenty of birds.
safari, along with incredible photo opportunities. An early boat trip in the
cooler morning hours is often followed by an afternoon game drive and
sundowners, while a morning game drive and bush breakfast set the stage for an
afternoon boat trip.
Murchison Falls, Uganda -©Godfrey Elasmus
5. Whitewater rafting on the Nile
When it comes to adrenaline-fueled activities in Uganda,
look no further than Jinja, the undisputed adventure capital of East Africa.
kayaking and bungee jumping-nothing is more thrilling than whitewater rafting
on the Nile. This mighty river boasts class 1-6 rapids, making it an ideal
activity for first-time rafters, families, and adrenaline junkies looking for
an unforgettable adventure.
float, swimming in the river’s warm pools along the way, while those opting for
higher class rapids can set off on a heart-pounding adventure filled with
plenty of thrills and spills.
The Nile River, Uganda
6. Get buzzed on a coffee safari
Uganda is quickly becoming the next up-and-coming
destination for specialty coffee in East Africa thanks to its high-quality
Arabica coffee plants.
A coffee safari in the Sipi Falls region or the Buhoma
sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a fantastic way to learn about
the country’s burgeoning coffee industry (and get your caffeine fix at the same
time).
give visitors the chance to explore coffee farms, meet local farmers, and learn
about the stages of production from field to cup. Of course, a sample of the
plantation’s finest brew is included as well.
Experience the beauty of Uganda’s rural regions-©Godfrey Elasmus.
7. Experience the culture of rural communities
Uganda’s culture is defined by its colorful communities and
more than 50 distinct ethnic groups. Each area of the country offers
opportunities for visitors to interact with locals and learn about their unique
customs and livelihoods.
National Park offer a glimpse into the living history of this tribe that once
called Uganda’s forests home. The Batwa are one of the oldest surviving
communities in Africa and have preserved many of their traditions.
The Ik reside on Mount Morungole
near Kidepo Valley National Park and welcome visitors who partake
in a challenging day-long hike to their isolated home.
Ik have been able to maintain their ancestral customs dating back
thousands of years and willingly share these with visitors keen to make the
trek.
Head to www.interiorsafarisea.com now to explore a range of Uganda tours, and
get ready to cross these bucket list-worthy adventures off your list-©Godfrey Elasmus
