Great Hornbillオオサイチョウ

Species Data

Classification

Bucerotiformes / Bucerotidae Source

Distribution

Native to forests across India, Bhutan, Nepal, mainland Southeast Asia, and Sumatra, with a range fragmented by deforestation in the Western Ghats and Himalayan foothills. Source

Did You Know?

• During breeding, the male seals the female inside a tree cavity nest with mud and droppings to protect her from predators while she incubates; hatching takes about 40 days. Source
• The sexes look almost identical, but can be told apart by eye color—males have red irises, while females have bluish-white irises. Source

FAQ

Why does the female great hornbill seal herself inside the nest?

The male plasters the tree-cavity entrance shut with mud and droppings, leaving only a narrow slit; this protects the incubating female and her eggs from predators, and she relies entirely on the male to deliver food until the chicks are partly grown. Source

Why is the great hornbill considered Vulnerable?

Deforestation across its South and Southeast Asian range, combined with hunting for meat and its casque and tail feathers, led the IUCN to list it as Vulnerable in 2018. Source