Silvery-cheeked Hornbill Preening Canvas Print

The Silvery-cheeked Hornbill (Bycanistes brevis) is a raven-sized, boldly black and white-patterned bird found in the tropical and subtropical forests of eastern Africa, from Ethiopia to South Africa. Hornbills belong to a family of birds found in warm climates of Africa and Melanesia. They all have large beaks, and many, like the Silvery-cheeked, have “casques” on top of the beak, some quite elaborate. They look heavy, but the walls of the beak and the casque are supported by an interior fretwork of supportive solid tissue, so that the beak is surprisingly lightweight. The color of the beak, casque and un-feathered facial features of this species are quite variable. Most species of bird have an uropygial gland, also called an oil gland, which is a sebaceous (secreting) bi-lobed gland located on top of the base of the tail. Birds can frequently be seen reaching their beaks to the base of the tail and then preening. They do this to pick up a small amount of oily secretion the natur...

Renowned Canadian bird artist, writer, naturalist, and conservationist, Barry Kent MacKay has “always been an admirer of birds, anxious to see them, paint them, and care for them.” Barry’s biological and ecological accuracy has put him in demand for commissions, to illustrate books, scientific journals and various print and digital media. He has painted birds and other wildlife from around the world, often life size, working in oils, watercolours, and acrylics. He prefers to sell original art, and keeps prices low. “Actual, original art should be affordable for middle class buyers,” he says. “I avoid having to depend on selling reproductions so that the market does not dictate what I paint, which can often be little-known...