The trumpeter hornbill is a gregarious bird, usually living in groups of two to five individuals, although sometimes as many as fifty.

This hornbill is a locally common resident of the tropical evergreen forests of Burundi, Mozambique, Botswana, Congo, North Pare Mountains of Tanzania, Kenya, the Caprivi strip of Namibia and eastern South Africa, where it feeds on fruits and large insects.

Like other hornbills, the females incubate four to five white eggs while sealed in the nest compartment.

When they are kept and fed in captivity, they are tame, loving birds that can be taught a variety of tricks and enjoy companionship with their owner.

Widespread throughout its large range, the trumpeter hornbill is evaluated as least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.