Malabar Pied Hornbill, Anthracocerus cornatus, photographed in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka, early January, 2014. To 36 inches long from the tip of the beak to the end of the tail. The male of this species is seen looking to our left in the first photograph; the female is seen looking to our left in the second photograph (top right); all other shots are of the male looking to our right. Note the casque atop the upper portion of beak. This is somewhat larger and more forward-projecting in the male than in the female. The Malabar Pied Hornbill is a medium sized Pied Hornbill. An omnivore, its diet primarily consists of fruit, small mammals, lizards, and insects. Like other Hornbill species, the Malabar Pied Hornbill breeds by the female first taking up residence in the hollow of a tree and the male sealing her in there with a wall composed of mud, fruit pulp, and fecal matter; she is fed by the male through a small slit as she sits the two to three eggs she lays. Note that the female, of course, can break free of this enclosure if need be (such as in the case where she might be threatened by another animal). An Old World bird, I found it quite amusing on one occasion when a South African native tried to describe a species of African Hornbill (not the Asian Malabar Pied Hornbill, of course) as, ,,, the same bird you see on the Froot Loops box. I learned from this individual that Toucan Sam (modeled on the New World toucan species) does double duty as a Hornbill in, at least, South Africa! In any case, do note that Hornbills and Toucans are not closely related species.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 03:51:33 +0000