Tockus alboterminatus (Büttikofer, 1889)

Contrary to popular opinion, I do very much like birds.

In New Kasama, Lusaka, Zambia. Photographed with an Olympus E-420 DSLR with a 70-300 mm Zuiko lens.

I feature them less frequently than insects for three major reasons: 1) There are a lot more insects than birds; 2) An awful lot of people like birds an awful lot, and as such they can seem a little oversubscribed at times; and 3) in most places, birds that have historically stayed still when a human points a large, dark object at them don't breed.

Hopefully this is changing - in small parts of the truly massive national parks of various African countries, protection is sufficient that birds no longer have to fear humans quite so intensely - and will sometimes let them get a little closer. As Britain does not see fit to ban hunting within its national parks (so what, then, is the point of setting them up for conservation purposes?) most birds that are relatively calm with a nearby human still dash for cover as soon as a telephoto lens is swung their way.

This bird, although its population is declining quite markedly, is one of the more common hornbills of the Lusaka Suburbs, and - with far too many people having far too many guns - was very uncomfortable being photographed.

Without further ado, this skittish bird belongs to:

- Eukaryota
  - Animalia
    - Eumetazoa
      - Bilateralia
        - Nephrozoa

See also Chloromyia formosa, Senaspis haemorrhoa, Helophilus pendulus, Episyrphus balteatus, Diasemopsis meigenii, Metadon inermis, Dolichotachina caudata, Megistocera filipes, Panorpa germanica, Metisella willemi, Acada biseriata, Anthocharis cardamines, Laelia robusta, Zebronia phenice, Crambus pascuella, Phyllobius pomaceus, Otiorhynchus atroapterus, Malachius bipustulatus, Oedemera noobilis,Cheilomenes lunata, Melolontha melolontha, Neojulodis vittipennis, Demetrias atricapillus, Anthia fornasiini, Synagris proserpina, Vespula germanica, Astata tropicalis, Andrena nigroaenea, Hagenomyia tristis, Pephricus, Anoplocnemis curvipes, Ranatra, Grypocoris stysi, Cyathosternum prehensile, Lobosceliana loboscelis, Stictogryllacris punctata, Sibylla, Humbe tenuicornis, Rhyothemis semihyalina, Pseudagrion hageni, Enallagma cyathigerum and Lestinogomphus angustus,  Hyllus argyrotoxus, Argiope bruennichi, Enoplognatha ovata, Alopecosa barbipes, Dicranopalpus ramosus and Ligia oceanica. 

          - Deuterostomia
            - Chordata
              - Craniata
                - Vertebrata
                  - Gnathostomata
                    - Teleostomi
                      - Osteichthyes

See also Synchiropus splendidus

                        - Sarcopterygii
                          - Tetrapoda

See also Rana temporaria and Chiromantis xerampelina.

                            - Reptiliomorpha

                              - Amniota

See also Hipposideros vittatus.

                                - Reptilia
                                  - Romeriida
                                    - Diapsida
                                      - Sauria

See also Thelotornis capensis, Trachylepis varia, Zootoca vivipara and Lygodactylus capensis.

                                        - Archosauromorpha
                                          - Archosauria
                                            - Avemetatarsalia
                                              - Dinosauria
                                                - Saurischia
                                                  - Therapoda
                                                    - Tetanurae
                                                      - Coelurosauria
                                                        - Maniraptora
                                                          - Aves
                                                            - Euornithes
                                                              - Neornithes
                                                                - Neognathae
                                                                  - Neoaves

See also Troglodytes troglodytes, Chalcophaps indica, Ardea goliath, Sterna hirundo and Burhinus vermiculatus.

                                                                    - Bucerotiformes 
                                                                      - Bucerotidae

Tockus alboterminatus

(Büttikofer, 1889)

also known as the Crowned Hornbill, or various other names depending on the language you feel like using... I like the Shona (Hoto - just means 'Hornbill') and the Dutch (Kuiftok). 

And that, I'm afraid to say, is all for now, folks!

Although its notes on invertebrate groups are limited, the IZIKO Biodiversity Explorer is of some value for identifying birds from Southern Africa, although good books on the subject are generally inexpensive (compared to, for example, those covering frogs or insect groups in any detail).