At first glance, this marvelous bird can be easily mistaken for a toucan. However, upon closer inspection, you might realize that a few things are off. Despite having huge beaks and vibrant fur colors, hornbills are surprisingly anything but a toucan!

There’s no denying that both birds look similar. Despite this, they are not the same species and belong to a completely different family of birds.

Hornbills: What’s With The Funny Thing On Its Head?

Hornbills can be found dwelling in the forests of Africa and Asia. One of their key distinguishing features is that funny-looking helmet on its head. This helmet-like structure above their beak is a bony growth called a casque, and it serves plenty of fascinating purposes.

The casque is mostly hollow on the inside, which amplifies the bird’s calls and makes it sound much louder! Apart from serving as a communication tool, the casque also helps determine which species of hornbill the bird is.

It’s also been speculated the hornbills use their casque in combat. Even though the casque might be used as a deadly weapon, there’s no doubt that it’s a beautiful defining feature of the bird!

There are plenty of species of hornbill with different features that make them stand out. The great hornbill can fly and has a yellow casque, the ground hornbill is a ground-dwelling creature, and the wrinkled hornbill is, well, wrinkled!

Hornbills are also known for their monogamous relationship. Except for ground hornbills, this species of bird spends most of its life in trees and flying in the sky.

Toucans: Gorgeous, Exotic Birds

Toucans, on the other hand, reside in Central and South America’s tropical rainforests. Toucans, unlike hornbills, don’t have a casque. Instead, they have massive, colorful beaks.

There’s no denying that a toucan’s beak looks gorgeous. Because the beak is made of keratin, it is surprisingly lightweight and won’t drag down the bird as it flies. Additionally, the beak is used by the toucan to scavage for food.

Like hornbills, there are numerous species of toucans, all sporting different colors and beak sizes. The Toco Toucan is the iconic toucan with a black body and a huge orange beak, while the Keel-Billed toucan has a multicolored beak and bright green fur.

Unlike hornbills, who are monogamous, toucans are much more social and spend most of their time in flocks. Because of their lightweight beak, toucans are much more agile birds and can fly around more easily.

Why Are They So Similar?

If the birds are completely different species, then why do they look nearly identical? The resemblance is an example of convergent evolution, which is when two different animals develop similar features because they live in similar areas—in this case, rainforests.

Their huge beaks help them forage for food and their vibrant colors help them camouflage. No matter how different or similar hornbills and toucans are, these two species of birds undeniably showcase the beautiful diversity of nature!