General Information

The hornbill has a very distinct call which is produced by their inflatable throat and jerking their head in an upward motion. These birds are unique among birds having a casque; their first two neck vertebrae are fused and they have two kidneys instead of three like most other casque birds.

Physical Description

The hornbill's length is 30 to 35 in. The males are larger than the female and weigh from 4-8 lbs; the females weigh from 3-6 lbs. The birds are black with a white tail stained yellow with preen gland oil. Females have a black head and neck. Males have a rufous crown and white face and neck. The iris and bare skin around the eye are cherry-red. The extensive inflatable bare throat skin has a blue-black band across the center. It is bright yellow in the male and blue in the female. The bill is a dull white color.

Diet

The wreathed hornbill is an omnivorous feeder, eating mostly fruit. The male, however, will feed small animals such as bats, reptiles, frogs, crabs, and insects to the females and developing chicks. It can find food from the treetops to the forest floor as well as in water.   

Habitat

Hornbills generally live in Southeast Asia, but their population in slowly decreasing due to forest destruction.

Reproduction

These birds nest in tree hollows either excavated by a mating pair or from another animal. They may return to the same nesting area for as many as nine years. After laying up to three white eggs, the female will seal herself inside of the nesting chamber with mud and dung leaving only a small hole for the male to deliver food through. She is completely dependent upon him for food for the 4 ½ months of incubation and brooding.