Rhinoceros hornbill eating fig10/18/2023 ![]() ![]() Great hornbills breed from January/February to May/June. At these roosts the birds are highly vocal, making sounds that can be described as “cackling” or “roaring.” The roosts may function as information hubs, where individual birds share information regarding feeding sites, for example. At night they gather in large communal roosts which may contain hundreds of individuals. Groups of birds will sometimes gather together at fruit trees. Group courtship displays involving up to 20 birds have been observed. Great hornbills form monogamous, territorial pairs but may also be seen in small family groups or flocks of up to 40 birds. They are also hunted for their fat, which is highly prized and is used for a variety of purposes, from medical treatment to gun polish, and for their casques, meat and feathers, which are used in various rituals. The flesh is believed to be medicinal by some. ![]() Tribal members hunt them for their beaks and head to use in charms. ![]() Man is the chief predator of great hornbills. This species has been known to protect fig trees from other birds.Īt the zoo: They eat iron-rich fruits, bird pellets and super worms. Figs are a particularly important food throughout the year. In the wild: Great hornbills primarily (70%) eat fat-rich and sugar-rich fruits, but they also feed on small mammals, birds, eggs, amphibians, reptiles and insects. Like many other hornbills, great hornbills have prominent eyelashes on their upper eyelids.As a result, their flight is often noisy and produces a characteristic “whooshing” sound. They lack the short feathers under the wing (underwing coverts) that cover the bases of the primary and secondary flight feathers in other birds.The back of the casque is reddish in females and the underside of the front and back of the casque is black in males. Males and females have identical plumages, but the female is smaller and has a bluish-white iris, while the male’s is red.When viewed from the front the casque is U-shaped, with two ridges along the sides that form points in the front and give the species its Latin name bicornis, meaning two-horned. The most conspicuous feature of the great hornbill is its casque, a hollow structure located on top of the massive bill.A preen gland near the tail secretes tinted oil, spread by the bird during grooming, which may give the bill, neck, tail and wing feathers a color varying from yellow to red. The body, head and wings are mostly black the abdomen and neck are white. The great hornbill is one of the largest hornbills, weighing on average 3 kg (6.6 pounds) and ranging in length from 95 to 120 cm (37.4 to 47.24 in.) with a wingspan of 151 to 178 cm (59 to 70 inches).This species never needs to drink but obtains the water it needs from its diet.Pairs use duets as part of courtship, and the birds call loudly and frequently within their large, communal night roosts. It may also ensure the male’s fidelity to the nest, female and young. The sealing of the nest by the female is thought to have evolved as a predator deterrent.The first two cervical (neck) vertebrae are fused to help support the birds’ large bills.The size and color are also an indication of the age of the bird. It may serve to attract females, to dominate other males, or to serve as a resonance chamber that amplifies the sounds the birds make. ![]() The species’ most striking adaptation is the hollow casque, but its function is not precisely known. ![]()
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