Great hornbill

They’re amazingly human-friendly — oh, but do we call it a friendship if we cost their population the chance to survive

Angadachappa

Female hornbills block their nest’s entrance before laying eggs to protect the offspring from predators during the first few weeks of their lives. But what about food while they’re stuck in that nest cavity? The male Hornbill gathers worms, tiny birds, and fruits and drops them through the nest’s narrow opening. Impressive division of responsibility and exhibit of faith in partners, right?

They don’t have Uber Eats, y’all! However, what happens if the father doesn’t return or dies? They starve. Due to illegal hunting and loss of habitat, the species’ population is dwindling alarmingly, fetching a “near threatened” status. Presently, around 13,000 to 27,000 mature Great Hornbills inhabit trees globally. So, the question is, do we want to deprive our forests of this elaborate-looking bird species? You decide.

Distribution

Country
Population est.
Status
Year
Comments
Bangladesh
2020
Bhutan
2020
Cambodia
2020
China
2020
India
2020
Indonesia
2020
Laos
2020
Malaysia
2020
Myanmar
2020
Nepal
2020
Thailand
2020
Vietnam
2020

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Terrestrial / Aquatic

Altricial / Precocial

Polygamous / Monogamous

Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic

Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd / Flock

Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

Migratory: Yes / No

Domesticated: Yes / No

Dangerous: Yes / No