• 

  Profile

• 

  In flight

Tropical Birds

Great Hornbill

Buceros bicornis

• uncommon
• 32 km/h
• Vulnerable

Massive casque on its head and booming wingbeats you can hear a mile away.

Population

13,000-27,000 mature individuals, decreasing

Habitat

Dense, unlogged wet evergreen and mixed deciduous forests, from lowland elevations up to ~2,000 m, with a strong preference for old-growth forest containing large trees for nesting cavities

Fun fact

During breeding (Jan-Apr), the female seals herself inside a tree-cavity nest using a plaster made mainly of feces (and other material), leaving only a narrow slit through which the male feeds her and the chicks until they are half-developed; the chicks reseal the cavity themselves after the female exits.

Range

South and Southeast Asia across 12 countries: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China (mainland), Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia (Sumatra); distribution now fragmented due to deforestation

Diet

Primarily frugivorous (figs especially important, including lipid-rich fruits); also opportunistically eats small mammals, reptiles, small birds, and insects

Size

1.2 m

Wingspan

1.52 m

Lifespan

35 years