Grey-Cheeked Hornbill (Bycanistes subcylindricus)

The Grey-Cheeked Hornbill lives in evergreen tropical forests in central and western Africa, including Congo and the Ivory Coast. The Grey-Cheeked Hornbill feeds primarily on small animals especially insects, reptiles, birds, and bats.

Hornbills are famous for their nesting behavior. Once courtship and mating are over, the female finds a tree hollow and seals herself in with mud. The male helps with nest construction by gathering materials from the surrounding forest. Once sealed in the hollow the female's only access to the outside world is through a small slit in the mud. The male is responsible for feeding her and the young while she is in the nest. If the male is captured or killed before the female emerges she will starve to death.