Rhinoceros Hornbill

Buceros rhinoceros

The rhinoceros hornbill is named for the rhino horn-shaped casque on its beak, which may be used in fighting, to amplify its calls, for courtship displays, or just to knock down fruit for eating. Hornbills have very interesting nesting habits. The female lays her eggs within a tree cavity. She seals up the entrance with droppings to deter predators, except for a small slit through which the male provides food over the next few months. Once the hatchlings are old enough, the female emerges and helps the male bring them food until they are ready to fledge.

Fact File

Height: 2.6 to 3 ft
Weight: 4.5 to 6.5 lbs
Habitat: Forest
Diet: Fruit and small animals
Status: Species at Risk (IUCN—Lower risk/near threatened)

Videos

Spreading Seeds:

Feeding on fruits such as figs, rhinoceros hornbills help disperse seeds through their droppings.

Range:

Malay peninsula and Borneo

Collecting Feathers

Zoos, including the Cincinnati Zoo, collect tail feathers of rhinoceros hornbills when they fall out and send them to Malaysia where they are used in headdresses and decorative capes. This keeps the people from hunting wild hornbills for their feathers.