While Uganda’s forests host the spectacular casqued hornbill species, the drier savannahs and woodlands of the country are home to the African grey hornbill — a smaller, more modestly coloured but highly characterful species that is widespread across sub-Saharan Africa’s savannah zone and is one of the most commonly encountered hornbills at Murchison Falls, Lake Mburo, and Kidepo Valley NP, where its nasal piping call is a constant background sound of the Uganda savannah. The African grey hornbill is a familiar sighting on every Uganda safari through the northern parks.
- Scientific name: Lophoceros nasutus — one of the most widespread savannah hornbills in Africa
- Identification: grey-brown; long tail; large decurved bill without a casque; male has dark bill with pale stripe; female has pale tip
- Uganda sites: Murchison Falls NP, Lake Mburo NP, Kidepo Valley NP, Queen Elizabeth NP (Kasenyi area), dry woodland throughout north
- Call: a nasal, piping “pee-o pee-o pee-o” call; very distinctive and heard before the bird is seen
While Uganda’s forests host the spectacular casqued hornbill species, the drier savannahs and woodlands of the country are home to the African grey hornbill — a smaller, more modestly coloured but highly characterful species. Widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, it is one of the most commonly encountered hornbills on any Uganda safari and is present throughout the national parks and wildlife reserves of the north and east.
The African grey hornbill lacks the dramatic casque of its forest relatives but compensates with a bold personality and a distinctive two-tone bill. Its constant calling — a plaintive, descending whistle — is part of the soundtrack of Uganda’s savannah and dry woodland areas in 2027.
Identification
The African grey hornbill is a medium-sized hornbill reaching about 45 centimetres. The plumage is grey-brown on the back and wings with white streaking. The underparts are white with grey-brown streaking on the breast. A white supercilium is prominent. The bill is large and curved, cream-coloured in females and dark with a cream base in males. Males lack a casque; females have a small red tip to the upper mandible.
In flight a broad white stripe down the back is conspicuous. The tail is long and graduated with white outer tips. The species is separated from other grey or brown hornbills by the combination of size, bill colour, and habitat. The flight is undulating with alternating flaps and glides, typical of hornbills.
Habitat and Distribution in Uganda
The African grey hornbill is found in woodland savannah, bushland, and dry forest throughout northern and eastern Uganda. Murchison Falls National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park are the best locations in Uganda for this species. It is absent from the wetter western forests and less common in the central and southern regions.
The species favours open woodland with large trees for nesting and foraging. It is often seen in pairs or small family groups. Unlike forest hornbills it is relatively easy to observe as it forages at all levels from the ground to the forest canopy. It adapts well to disturbed and cultivated areas with remaining trees.
Diet and Foraging
The African grey hornbill has a varied diet including insects, small lizards, fruits, and seeds. It forages at all levels — on the ground, in shrubs, and in the canopy of large trees. Termites and other insects are important during the dry season when fruit is scarce. The curved bill is used to probe bark crevices and turn over leaves and debris on the forest floor.
Like other hornbills it is attracted to fruiting trees and can gather in small flocks when fruit is abundant. It also follows army ant swarms to catch insects disturbed by the ants. The species is an important seed disperser in savannah woodland ecosystems, passing seeds of many tree species through its digestive system.
Nesting Behaviour
The African grey hornbill uses the same sealed-cavity nesting system as other hornbills. The female seals herself inside a tree cavity, leaving a narrow slit through which the male passes food. She remains inside during incubation and early chick-rearing. The clutch is two to four white eggs incubated for about 25 days. Chicks fledge at approximately 45 days.
Suitable nesting cavities in large trees are a limiting factor for this species in areas where old trees have been removed. The species will also use nest boxes where provided, and local conservation programmes in some areas have installed artificial cavities to supplement natural nesting sites.
Behaviour and Calls
The African grey hornbill is a vocal species. The characteristic call is a plaintive, descending whistle — “pee-o, pee-o, pee-o” — that carries well through open woodland. It also produces various chattering calls at the nest and in social interactions. The species is often located by call before it is seen.
Pairs maintain contact calls throughout the day. At dusk birds gather at roost trees, often in groups. The combination of their calls and the repeated undulating flights between trees makes them conspicuous in the early morning and late afternoon when they are most active.
Photography Tips
The African grey hornbill is an accessible photographic subject due to its relatively bold behaviour and open habitat. The white supercilium and bill detail are the key identification features to capture clearly. Look for birds foraging on the ground after rain when they are most approachable. The grey and white plumage photographs best in overcast light when harsh shadows are eliminated.
See It in Murchison Falls or Kidepo in 2027
The gorilla trekking permit costs $800 in 2027. After trekking gorillas at Bwindi, consider extending your safari to Murchison Falls or Kidepo Valley to add savannah species like the African grey hornbill to your Uganda bird list. These northern parks offer a completely different ecosystem and bird community from the western forests. Contact us to plan your 2027 itinerary.
How do you identify the African grey hornbill and tell it from other Uganda hornbills?
The African grey hornbill is the most commonly encountered hornbill in Uganda’s savannah. Plumage: grey-brown overall; white supercilium; white spots on the wing; long graduated tail with white outer feathers. Bill: the bill is large and decurved but has no casque — this separates it from the casqued hornbill species; male has a dark bill with a cream-coloured stripe along the upper mandible; female has a pale-tipped bill. Size: 44-50cm — medium-sized hornbill; larger than the red-billed hornbill but much smaller than the casqued species. Confusion species: in Uganda savannah, the African red-billed hornbill and Hemprich’s hornbill (in dry north) are the main potential confusions; the red-billed hornbill has an obvious red bill without a pale stripe; the grey hornbill’s pale bill stripe and grey-brown tone is distinctive. Flight: the undulating woodpecker-like flight and the calling habit in flight help locate it.
What does the African grey hornbill eat and how does it find food?
The African grey hornbill is an omnivore that exploits a wide range of food sources. Fruit: wild figs and other savannah fruits; the large bill handles seeds too large for smaller birds; it is an important disperser of savannah trees. Insects: the grey hornbill takes large insects including grasshoppers, beetles, and mantids; it watches from a tree perch then drops to the ground to catch prey. Small vertebrates: lizards, small frogs, and occasionally small nestling birds are also taken. Cooperative foraging: often follows elephant, buffalo, and other large mammals to catch insects disturbed from the grass; a trail of grey hornbills following an elephant through savannah is a common Uganda scene. Water: drinks by scooping and tilting like all hornbills; requires surface water which it finds at seasonal pools or permanent rivers.
Does the African grey hornbill have the same sealing nesting behaviour as other hornbills?
Like all true hornbills, the grey hornbill seals the female inside the nest. The nest: a natural tree hollow; in Uganda’s savannah these are typically in large acacia or fig trees; the species may also use earth banks or termite mounds in some areas. Sealing: the female enters the hollow and seals the entrance from inside using a mixture of mud, fruit pulp, and droppings; the entrance is reduced to a narrow slit. Male feeding: the male feeds the sealed female through the slit; he must collect enough food to sustain both of them; if the male dies, the female breaks out but loses the eggs. Clutch and development: 3-5 white eggs; incubation approximately 25 days; the female emerges before the chicks fledge; the chicks re-seal themselves and are fed by both parents until fledging. Competition for nest holes: natural tree hollows are at a premium in savannah; grey hornbills compete with rollers, barbets, starlings, and other hole nesters.
What is the distribution of the African grey hornbill across Uganda?
The African grey hornbill has a defined distribution within Uganda tied to savannah and dry woodland. Northern Uganda: widespread and common in the savannah north of the equatorial forest zone; Murchison Falls NP and the dry woodland of the north are strongholds. Western Uganda: present at Queen Elizabeth NP in the Kasenyi and Ishasha savannah; absent from the dense forest areas. Eastern Uganda: present in dry woodland and Acacia savannah; Lake Mburo NP is a reliable site. Where it is absent: not found in the montane forest zone; not at Bwindi, Rwenzori, or Kibale; it is a savannah bird not a forest bird. Kidepo: particularly abundant in the dry Karamoja habitat around Kidepo Valley NP; the dry savannah and Borassus palms of Kidepo are ideal habitat.
What makes the African grey hornbill call so distinctive?
The grey hornbill call is one of the most characteristic sounds of the Uganda savannah. The call: a rising nasal piping “pee-o pee-o pee-o” or “pee-ooo pee-ooo”; also a mournful descending “wee-ee-ee”; both calls carry well across open country. When it calls: frequently in flight as a contact call between birds; also from tree perches; calling pairs or groups are heard constantly in the Uganda savannah. Volume and character: the nasal quality is very distinctive; once learned, it is immediately recognisable; the call is the first indication of the species in most Uganda savannah encounters. Duetting: pairs duet during the breeding season; the duet is a rapid alternation of calls between male and female; this territorial behaviour is heard early in the morning in the dry season. Recording tip: the grey hornbill’s call is easy to record as it calls loudly from exposed perches; birdsong apps identify it instantly.
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