| Rhinoceros hornbill | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A pair inSingapore Zoo | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Bucerotiformes |
| Family: | Bucerotidae |
| Genus: | Buceros |
| Species: | B. rhinoceros |
| Binomial name | |
| Buceros rhinoceros | |
Therhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros) is a large species of foresthornbill (Bucerotidae). In captivity it can live for up to 35 years. It is found in lowland and montane, tropical and subtropical climates and in mountainrain forests up to 1,400 metres inBorneo,Sumatra,Java, theMalay Peninsula,Singapore, and southernThailand.[1]
The rhinoceros hornbill wasformally described by the Swedish naturalistCarl Linnaeus in 1758 in thetenth edition of hisSystema Naturae. He placed it with thegreat hornbill in thegenusBuceros and coined thebinomial nameBuceros rhinoceros. Linnaeus specified thelocation as India.[3] The name comes fromAncient Greek βοῦς (boûs), meaning "ox", and κέρας (kéras), meaning "horn". Thespecific namerhinoceros comes from how the species' bill resembles arhinoceros' horn.[4]
Threesubspecies are recognised:[5]
The rhinoceros hornbill is a large arboreal hornbill, 80 to 90 cm (31–35 in) long. The weight varies by sex, with males weighing around 2,465 to 2,960 g (87.0–104.4 oz) and the females 2,040 to 2,330 g (72–82 oz). The plumage is predominantly black, with white legs and vent and a white tail with a black band. The huge bill andcasque are orange and red, the colour coming frompreen oil rubbed on from the preen gland above the tail. The eyes of the male are red with black rims, and white with red rims in the female.[6]
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The diet of the rhinoceros hornbill is dominated by fruit, but it will take any insect, small reptile, rodent, and smaller birds that it can catch.[6]
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The courtship and bonding of these birds are critical, as the female must trust the male to provide her with everything when she is incubating and raising chicks. These hornbills make their nests inside tree trunks,[7] and the female stays inside with the eggs and then with the chicks, while the male brings them food. After the eggs are laid, the male collects mud, and the pair pack that mud, along with food and feces, to wall up the entrance to the tree cavity. They leave a very small hole, just large enough for the male to feed the female, and later the chicks, and for the female to defecate through the hole. Once the chicks are fully feathered and old enough to leave the nest, the parents chip away the dry mud to let the chicks out.
The rhinoceros hornbill faces a number of threats, including loss of its rainforest habitat, as well as hunting for its meat, and its skull and feathers.[1] Habitat destruction has led to the loss of the large trees the species requires for breeding, which in turn makes it easier for poachers to find the rhinoceros hornbill. It is frequently shot at by poachers due to confusion with the highly sought-afterhelmeted hornbill. Due to this, the species was uplisted tovulnerable fromnear threatened on theIUCN Red List in 2018.[8]
The rhinoceros hornbill is the state bird of theMalaysian state ofSarawak and the country'snational bird.[9] SomeDayak people, especially the Ibanic groups, believe it to be the chief of worldly birds or the supreme worldly bird, and its statue is used to welcome the god of the augural birds, Sengalang Burong, to the feasts and celebrations of humankind. Contrary to some misunderstandings, the rhinoceros hornbill does not represent their war god, who is represented in this world by thebrahminy kite.[10][11] It is featured on the reverse of the 5Malaysian ringgit bill.
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