Animals Birds

Rhinoceros Hornbill

SCIENTIFIC NAME:

Buceros rhinoceros

PROFILE:

All hornbills have a casque, or hard structure, on top of their bill. The size and color of this casque can vary depending on size and gender, but the rhinoceros hornbill’s casque is especially impressive and distinguishes it from other hornbills. It is believed the casque amplifies sound and vocalizations made by the hornbill.

TYPE OF ANIMAL:

bird, coraciiformes (kingfishers and their relatives)

NATIVE TO:

southeast Asia (Malay peninsula, western Indonesia, Borneo, Java, and Sumatra)

IUCN CONSERVATION STATUS:

near threatened

DIET:

frugivore (fruit eater), but will also eat small vertebrates and invertebrates

LIFESPAN:

wild - up to 30 years; zoos - up to 35 years

SOCIAL STATUS:

pair bonded, sometimes seen in flocks