White flashes in flight
A white belly and white trailing wing edges distinguish it from the Black Hornbill. The pale bill supports a prominent casque; the male's bill and casque are larger than the female's. Young birds have smaller bills with an undeveloped casque. Squealing and chuckling calls often reveal a bird before its outline emerges.
Sources & references · 1
IUCN SSC Hornbill Specialist Group · Oriental Pied HornbillFruit and small prey
Fruit supplies most food, but insects, lizards and small birds also enter the diet. A large bill can handle surprisingly small items precisely. Feeding and courtship are linked: a male offers food to his partner and later delivers food to the occupied nest. Pairs and family groups move among trees as fruit becomes available. It also descends for fallen fruit or prey at ground level. Coastal scrub, cultivated areas and open woodland form part of its habitat, making it less dependent on primary rainforest than most Asian hornbills.
Sources & references · 3
Singapore National Parks · Oriental Pied Hornbill accountIUCN SSC Hornbill Specialist Group · Oriental Pied HornbillNational University of Singapore, Singapore Biodiversity education project · Anthracoceros albirostris species accountA protected cavity
The female enters a tree cavity and closes most of the entrance with mud and fibres. A narrow slit remains for food from the male, who supports both female and chicks. Suitable hollows remain important even where this adaptable hornbill uses woodland near villages. In Kinabatangan, artificial nest cavities have been inspected by this species; an inspection alone does not establish a successful brood.
