Great hornbill
The great hornbill (Buceros bicornis) also known as great Indian hornbill or great pied hornbill, is one of the larger members of the hornbill family.
| Great hornbill | |
|---|---|
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| Perched on a Mesua tree at Valparai, South India | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Bucerotiformes |
| Family: | Bucerotidae |
| Genus: | Buceros |
| Species: | B. bicornis
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| Binomial name | |
| Buceros bicornis | |
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Great hornbills are found in the forests of Nepal, India, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, Indonesia. Their impressive size and colour have made them important in many tribal cultures and rituals. The great hornbill is long-lived, living for nearly 50 years in captivity. They are predominantly frugivorous although they are opportunists and will prey on small mammals, reptiles and birds.
Great Hornbill Media
Illustration by English zoological artist T. W. Wood showing the eyelashes, worn bill edge and the concave casque with ridged sides
Male feeding the female at the nest
William, a captive great hornbill
Close-up of great hornbill male in Mangaon showing red iris and black on underside of casque
Great hornbill eating a fledgling bird
A female great hornbill carries food (fruit of Myristica beddomei) in her beak to feed the chick that is still inside the tree cavity nest
A female great hornbill (above) with a male (below) in Nelliyampathy
_Photograph_by_Shantanu_Kuveskar.jpg)
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2020). "Buceros bicornis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2020: e.T22682453A184603863. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22682453A184603863.en. Retrieved 18 January 2022.