Black-and white-casqued Hornbill.

These impressive birds are found in wooded habitats in central and western Africa, ranging from western Kenya to Côte d'Ivoire with an isolated population in north Angola. This Hornbill is found mostly in the Ivory-Coast, with smaller populations in its surrounding countries. The Central-African populations are mostly in Uganda and Kenya as well as Cameroon, with smaller populations in Gabon, Tanzania and Central Africa. They are tropical birds that live in regions with high amounts of forests and because of this arboreal nature they are rarely seen on flat lands.



Quite what this bird is doing in the Gambia is a mystery, nevertheless it seems happy to have taken up residence in the grounds of a large hotel. It has become resident in this same location because it’s probably having a good living there.
Whatever the circumstances, it’s a very impressive bird to see, standing at around 30 inches.