White-crested Hornbill (Horizocerus albocristatus albocristatus ) SD Zoo

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. (Psalms 18:2 KJV)

Last year Dan and I made our coast to coast trip. Our five-week trip enabled us to go to the San Diego Zoo for two days. That was definitely on my “Bucket List” for that trip. Since we haven’t been able to do much birdwatching this year, I thought I would finally get around to doing some more articles about that fantastic trip.

Actually, I got discouraged with my pictures and sort of “gave up.” It wasn’t the pictures fault, it was mine. I had recently updated my photography software to an improved one. (Dan’s hand me down copy) As I have stated many times before, I am a birdwatcher, not a photographer. Dan is our great photographer with the nice camera and fancy lenses. Me, I shoot in “program” mode, but, I shoot 5-10 times more photos than Dan. Dan waits for the perfect shot or the right angle. Me? If it’s a bird, I shoot it before it can get away. Anyway, the software frustrated me and at the same time, a program I have been using for years to “shrink” my photos for the blog, was no longer available.

Thus, these photos have been sitting on my hard drive waiting for me to do something with them. Now that I understand the software better, and I now know how to “shrink” them, it’s time to bring them out of hiding.

White-crested Hornbill (Horizocerus albocristatus albocristatus) SD Zoo Day 1

Another big encouragement I received lately was a series of tips from a photographer whose site I follow. He is at Victor Rakmil Photography. My favorite one, that encouraged me, was the one about a squirrel. It had to do with “cropping.” I always cropped my photos at the end, but he said to start there first. Simple, but it made sense. The photos in this article were cropped and then fixed up a bit.

Buco White-crested Hornbill (Horizocerus albocristatus albocristatus) SD Zoo

The White-crested Hornbill was my first attempt at this and I threw a few other photos in. Trust you enjoy them.

Back to this West African Long-tailed Hornbill. This is what the San Diego Zoo calls it, but it is actually a White-crested Hornbill subspecies (Tropicranus albocristatus albocristatus). They are from Guinea to the Ivory Coast. Length “70cm. Elongate, slender hornbill with a very long graduated tail. Predominately black but with bushy white crest extending from forecrown to nape, and white face. The relatively slender black bill with cream upper mandible has a casque that extends for most of its length.” (Birdlife.org) To see a really great photo of this bird, CLICK HERE. They live primarily in forest with dense tangles. Also in tall gallery and secondary forest.

Here is a recording of a White-crested Hornbill by xeno-canto.org

White-crested Hornbill (Tropicranus albocristatus albocristatus) is from the Bucerotidae (The Hornbill kind) See Avian Kinds on the Ark – What Is A Kind?

“Feeds mainly on insects but takes also spiders, slugs, lizards, snakes, nestlings and shrews and also fruit which is taken from the ground. Often follows driver-ants, bird groups or monkeys to hawk for insects disturbed by them. Little known about breeding. The nest is placed in a natural cavity in a tree or palm stump. The female seals the entrance with its own droppings. Lays 2 eggs.” (BirdForum.net)

He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour. (Psalms 112:9 KJV)

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Sea To Sea In 2015

Birds of the World

Bucerotidae – Hornbills

Victor Rakmil Photography