Bucerotidae

Bucerotidae is the hornbill family of tropical and subtropical birds, order Bucerotiformes, named from Ancient Greek words meaning ox horn. The family includes about 62 living species across 16 genera, found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia, with no single genus spanning both the African and Asian ranges. Hornbills are distinguished by a long, down-curved bill that is frequently brightly colored and topped by a horny casque on the upper mandible, hollow in most species but solid in the helmeted hornbill, along with fused first and second neck vertebrae unique among birds that help support the weight of the bill. Many species are important seed dispersers in forest ecosystems and nest in tree cavities as monogamous pairs.