Southern Yellow-Billed Hornbill - Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa

Okay, if Tuesday's post of the Lilac Breasted Roller didn't shock Jeff Clow, I thought that posting another bird photo in the same week would get his attention. I can just picture him acting like Red Foxx in Sanford and Son looking up to the heavens, holding his hand over his heart and saying "This is the big one...".

If this Hornbill looks familiar, you probably have seen its cousin, Zazu in the movie the Lion King. In the movie, Zazu was actually a Red-Billed Hornbill. These birds are relatively common on South Africa and feed on small insects, spiders, seeds and fruit. They also have been known to eat small animals. When courting a female, they will often feed them for month before mating. They tend to be monogamous.