Meet Horatio and Zazu, Hornbills on Parade!

Horatio stands at an impressive one metre in height, with long, luscious eyelashes (actually fine feathers) and a huge beak, this large bird loves to impress his keepers, and has a distinctive comical air about him.

There is a marked contrast between Horatio and his show mate, Zazu who is a diminutive 30cms from the tip of his distinctive red bill to the end of his tail.

Photographers are invited to meet our friendly hornbills in all their splendour at Whipsnade's bird display lawn, where they will be showing off their natural behaviours and trying to impress their audience!

Horatio daintily picks up 'love gifts' of brightly coloured rubber insects, with his huge beak and offers them to his keeper. While Zazu collects food from every nook and cranny!

Notes to editors:

Abyssinian ground hornbills
*Abyssinian ground hornbills are found in the equatorial regions of Africa, from The Gambia to Kenya

• They stand a massive one metre in height and have a huge 20cm beak

• They have a mantle of smooth black feathers, only showing their white wing feathers when in flight

• They also have a remarkable patch of inflatable coloured skin around the face, throat and neck - this is bright blue in females and a deep red and blue in males

Red-billed hornbills
*Red-billed hornbills are found in the Africa savannah
*They have long eyelashes, typical of all Hornbills
*They nest in natural cavities in trees and rocks
*The female seals herself and her brood in the nest for with mud and droppings leaving only a small slit for her partner to pass food to her

For further information please contact:
Zoological Society of London Public Relations Office:
Nathalie Golden: 020 7449 6280
E.mail: nathalie.golden@zsl.org