Rhinoceros Hornbill
Place to admire: Tropical Paradise
Scientific name: Buceros rhinoceros
IUCN-status: Vulnerable
Habitat
The Rhinoceros Hornbill inhabits the continent of Asia, particularly in southern Thailand, western Malaysia and in Indonesia, living in Sumatra, Borneo, and Java.
Its natural habitat consists of large areas of evergreen primary forests. They also occur in secondary forests and traverse open habitats.
Primary forests are known as forests that have developed over centuries, without (relatively much) human influence.
Secondary forests are known as forests that regrown after the old-growth forest was extremely disturbed by, for example, forest fires, storm damage, deforestation, etc.
Appearance
A male Rhinoceros Hornbill has a size between 80 and 90 centimeters. The plumage is black with white thighs and belly. The tail turns white with a black band. The beak and horn are orange, red and pale yellow in color. In the male, black also occurs in the upward curling horn. The eyes color red with a black rim.
Diet
The Rhinoceros Hornbill mainly eats fruit, with figs in particular. It also eats various high-fat fruit capsules and stone fruits. It also eats any small animal it can catch, such as arthropods, lizards, tree frogs and bird eggs.
Natural behavior
The Rhinoceros Hornbill usually forages in pairs, In the non-breeding season they sometimes hunt in small flocks.