The Rhinoceros hornbill is a large, cavity-nesting bird with black plumage, a white abdomen, and a long white tail crossed by a wide black band. Named for the upturned casque or “horn” that sits atop their giant colorful beaks, the males and females look alike except for their eye color .Hornbills’ diets include mostly fruits, and occasionally insects, small animals, and birds. They eat by picking up their food with their long beak, throwing their head back, and swallowing it.Hornbills’ diets include mostly fruits, and occasionally insects, small animals, and birds. They eat by picking up their food with their long beak, throwing their head back, and swallowing it.After the female lays 1-2 eggs, the pair uses mud and fruit to seal the female inside the tree cavity. The male passes food to her through a tiny hole while the female sits on the eggs. Thirty days after the chicks hatch, the female breaks out of the cavity and reseals the entrance. The chicks remain in the nest until they are about 80 days old.Rhinoceros hornbills are currently decreasing in number, but are not yet endangered. The continued loss of habitat could threaten wild populations in the future.
