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.

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.

Great Hornbillオオサイチョウ

Buceros bicornisVU— Vulnerable

The great hornbill is one of the largest hornbill species, a striking forest bird of South and Southeast Asia known for its massive yellow-and-black casque atop the bill. Its unusual breeding behavior—sealing the female inside a tree cavity for weeks of dependent incubation—makes it one of the more remarkable nesting strategies in the bird world.

Great Hornbill (reference photo) — Photo: Shantanu Kuveskar / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification: Bucerotiformes / Bucerotidae Source
Size: 90–130 cm
Weight: 2–4 kg (males average about 3 kg, females about 2.59 kg)
Lifespan: One captive bird lived nearly 50 years
Diet: Omnivore Feeds mainly on fruit (especially figs), and also preys on small mammals, reptiles, birds, and insects; obtains nearly all its water from fruit
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
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

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

Where to See This Species

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 3

Tobe Zoological Park of Ehime PrefectureEhimeOpened in 1988

Source

Izu Shaboten ZooShizuokaOpened in 1959

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TOBU ZOOSaitamaFrom Tobu-Dobutsu-Koen Station (west exit), about 10 minutes on foot (600 m) or about 5 minutes by bus.

Source

Conservation Story

Conservation Status

Vulnerable (VU)

Sources

ja.wikipedia.org

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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
How many operating facilities are registered here?: Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 3 Source

Books & gear

Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org