Page 74 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2021

LEISURE
74 | January 2021 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
Want to meet Zazu in person? Visit him at
Mississippi Aquarium! You can nd Zazu in the Aquarium’s free- ighted bird Aviary. The Aviary is approximately 3,000 square feet and over 30 feet tall at it’s highest point.
2100 E. Beach Blvd., Gulfport 228.241.1300 www.msaquarium.org
Meet Zazu!
CLASSIFICATION CLASS: Aves
ORDER: Coraciiformes
FAMILY: Bucerotidae
GENUS: Tockus
SPECIES: T. erythrorhynchus
• The hornbill inhabits savanna, woodland, and scrub habitats.
• This species is a non-migratory bird.
• The top two vertebrae of the hornbill’s neck are fused together which
helps support the weight of its large bill.
• This bird species is quite small as they typically weigh less than a pound.
• The female nests in an almost completely sealed hole within a tree for
two to three months while the male brings her food.
• Zazu gets his name from the Lion King.
• His favorite color is – you guessed it – red.
• His favorite song is “Circle of Life.”
• Zazu is very chatty and makes a tok-tok-tok-toktoktok sound. • His favorite snacks are beetles and grasshoppers – yum!
• Likes to hop from place to place.
Mississippi Aquarium’s Red-Billed Hornbill
Fun Facts