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The hornbill is a curious looking bird that is found throughout the Orient as well as in Africa and Australia. There are eleven species of hornbill in Malaysia alone. As the name suggests the hornbill has a large casque which is to be found on the upper mandible. The size and shape of this bill varies between the species. Apart from one species, the bill is filled with a cellular tissue as opposed to being solid. The bill is not, therefore as cumbersome as it may appear. It is filled with many air chambers and is very useful for reaching fruit on distant branches. The hornbill ranges in length from two to five feet.
Most hornbills have black, white or gray plumage but many have strikingly colourful bills. The hornbill is an outstanding bird with regard to the fact that its bones have much larger air spaces than most birds. The bird also has distinctively stout eyelashes, something which is not seen in most birds. The hornbill, however, is not as accomplished a flyer as many other birds. Despite this they are capable of flying long distances. The noise that results from their flying motion is quite distinctive. This results from the rush of air through the open bases of the wing quills which are not covered by the small feathers lining the base of the wing as would be expected with most birds.
The female hornbill will lay her eggs in a hollow tree. This will, for her, become a virtual prison as the nest is built around her. The hole of the nesting cavity will even be closed over with a clay like substance. The nest will, however, have a small hole. Through this opening the male will pass food to his mate. This food, which has been regurgitated, will be enclosed in a tough membranous bag. By so enclosing the nesting mother, strong protection is afforded from such deadly predators as birds and small carnivorous animals.
Sometimes the female hornbill enclosed in her nest will actually moult her quills while in the nest and grow new ones. She is therefore unable to fly during this period. The male is kept extremely busy supplying food for his mate and offspring. During the course of an hour he may visit the nest up to twenty times to supply food. The main food sources for the hornbill are berries and fruit. However, they will also eat small living rodents. The bird does have a reputation as a fussy eater, however. The bird will spend a great deal of time visiting trees and checking on the ripeness of it’s produce. They will hold off from eating a fruit until it is fully ripened.
Once the hatched birds develop an appetite that is too much for the male to handle by himself, the female – now fully re-feathered – will break free from the nest and help in the food gathering effort. The youngsters will then close up the opening from which the mother has escaped the nest. It has been observed, however, that over time conflict can sometimes arise within the nest. Some youngsters may decide that it is time for them to leave the nest while others instinctively attempt to protect their enclosure. So, while one bird is trying to make an opening, it’s sibling may be working just as vigorously to repair the hole.
The Hornbills of Africa have had to adapt to survive in difficult conditions. Today they are adept at living in such extreme conditions as wet rain forests and dry deserts. They are still most abundant, however, in forests and savannahs.
The Hornbill is the national symbol of Sarawak. The people there view the bird as a symbol of purity. They use either the bird itself or it’s representation in their religious ceremonies. In Sarawak, as in other South East Asian countries, the hornbill is a protected species.
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