Rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros)
Great place to see it: Borneo, Malaysia
If you thought courtship and bonding was probably the biggest deal of human life, the rhinoceros hornbill in Borneo might make you want to think again! Read on and you’ll know why.
Dwelling in the montane and lowland tropical and subtropical climatic conditions, the rhinoceros hornbill is found in the dense rainforests of Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. This large arboreal bird’s black plumes, white legs, and the orange and the red bill and casque are ought to mesmerise you in the forests of Borneo this October.
The rhinoceros hornbill feeds mainly on fruit but its diet also includes small reptiles, insects, smaller birds and rodents. So, coming to courtship of this bird… the female hornbill should trust the male completely and expect him to bring her food and everything else she needs as she begins to dwell in her nest inside tree trunks, incubating and raising her offspring.
Some groups in this part of Malaysia believe that the rhinoceros hornbill is the supreme worldly bird, and they also use its effigy to invite Sengalang Burong, the God of augural birds, to the feats of humans. It is also the National Bird of Malaysia and for these reasons, the rhinoceros hornbill is our Animal of the Week!
See this amazing hornbill on our Borneo Photography Tour.