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Northern Red-billed Hornbill
Tockus erythrorhynchus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderBucerotiformes (Hornbills and Hoopoes)
- FamilyBucerotidae (Hornbills)
- GenusTockus (Red-billed and Yellow-billed Hornbills)
- SpeciesTockus erythrorhynchus (Northern Red-billed Hornbill)
In 3 days >90%
1,229 Verified sightings at Samburu National Reserve From 2019 to 2026
4,662 In all 12 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the Northern Red-billed Hornbill
The northern red-billed hornbill (Tockus erythrorhynchus) is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is found from southern Mauritania through Somalia and northeast Tanzania. There are five species of red-billed hornbills recognized, but all five were once considered conspecific and some authorities still classify the others as subspecies of Tockus erythrorhynchus.
(Southern) Red-billed hornbill – Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds. Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Northern Red-billed Hornbill in Samburu National Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 7 | Awash National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 8 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 9 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 10 | Lake Manyara National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 11 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 12 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maiduguri | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | |
| 2 | Ouagadougou | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | |
| 3 | Accra | 🇬🇭 Ghana |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
Closest Relatives at Samburu National Reserve
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Northern Red-billed Hornbill in Samburu National Reserve?
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Red-billed Hornbill sighting in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, based on 1,229 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 341 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Northern Red-billed Hornbill in Samburu National Reserve?
January, April and October
In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Red-billed Hornbill in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, against about 70% in February and September, the lowest months. Those are among Samburu National Reserve's wettest months, with about 50 mm of rain a month against 5 mm in September.
What time of day is best to see a Northern Red-billed Hornbill?
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Red-billed Hornbill sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Samburu National Reserve the best place to see a Northern Red-billed Hornbill?
Yes
Of the 12 parks where we can rate Northern Red-billed Hornbill sightings, Samburu National Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 80%. Next come Tarangire National Park (Tanzania, about 80%) and Tsavo East National Park (Kenya, about 70%). All parks ranked.
Which relatives of the Northern Red-billed Hornbill live in Samburu National Reserve?
Same genus: Tockus
The closest relatives of the Northern Red-billed Hornbill that you can see in Samburu National Reserve (genus Tockus, Red-billed and Yellow-billed Hornbills) are Von der Decken's Hornbill (about 40%) and Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Northern Red-billed Hornbill sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Red-billed Hornbill is recorded against all the birds logged in Samburu National Reserve (1,229 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
