Rhinoceros Hornbill

The rhinoceros hornbill is a large Southeast Asian forest bird known for its heavy casque, strong pair bonds, and dependence on old trees for nesting.

• Feeds widely on fruit but also takes small animals opportunistically
• Uses large tree cavities where females seal themselves in during nesting
• Travels long distances between fruiting trees

Rhinoceros Hornbill is diurnal, flying and calling through the canopy.

Habitat: Primary and mature secondary tropical forest with large fruiting trees and cavity-bearing giants.

Native range: Borneo, Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, and parts of southern Thailand.

Rhinoceros Hornbill feeds on figs, fruit, insects, and small animals.

Rhinoceros Hornbill is diurnal, flying and calling through the canopy.

Zoo birds have been recorded living for more than 30 years; wild birds have not been followed long enough to give a figure.

The female walls herself into a tree hole, leaving a slit through which the male passes food. She usually lays 1 or 2 eggs and incubates for about six weeks. As in the great hornbill, she is thought to break out part-way through the nestling period, leaving the chick to reseal the gap.

The male has a red eye ringed with black skin; the female's eye is whitish with a red ring. Males are also larger, and their casque carries black markings that the female's lacks.

Rarity: Rare · 72/100. Hornbills need intact forest and large nest trees, both of which are heavily reduced in many areas.

• Keep away from known nest trees and fruiting figs used repeatedly by flocks.
• Use early morning canopy vantage points rather than walking under active feeding trees.