Oriental Pied Hornbill

Facts

IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)

Facts about this animal

This is the smallest of the Asian hornbill species with males measuring from tip of bill to tip of tail 55-60 cm, and females being slightly smaller. The wing length ranges from 23 to 36 cm, the bill up to 19 cm in males and up to 16 cm in females.

The plumage of neck, neck, upper breast, back and wings is black with greenish gloss. The lower breast, abdomen, thighs, under wing-coverts and tips of all except the outer two primaries and basal three secondaries are white. The tail is black with a broad white tip to all but the central pair of the rectrices.

The bare skin around the eye is white with a black spot in front of it, the throat skin is white with a blue tinge, the bill and casque are ivory-cloured with black base and the casque also with a black patch over the end. The iris is dark red, legs and feet are dull greenish grey.

Sexes are alike axcept that the female's casque is less convex and lacks the projecting tip, that casque and bill have some dark-brown patches, and that the iris is brown to greyish brown.

Did you know?
that the 'Casque' is hollow and composed of the same keratin which lines the entire bill?

Factsheet
Class	AVES
Order	CORACIIFORMES
Suborder	BUCEROTES
Family	BUCEROTIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Anthracoceros albirostris
Name (English)	Oriental Pied Hornbill
Name (French)	Calao pie
Name (German)	Orienthornvogel
Name (Spanish)	Cálao cariblanco
Local names	Bahasa Indonesia: Banggang belulang
CITES Status	Appendix II
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
Amit Thakurta

Distribution

Distribution
Range	South East Asia (Bangladesh; Bhutan; Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; China; India; Indonesia; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Malaysia; Myanmar; Nepal; Thailand; Viet Nam)
Habitat	Forest edges and oopen moist deciduous and evergreen forests, from foothills up to 670 m.
Wild population	The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as 'common' in at least parts of its range (del Hoyo et al. 2001).
Zoo population	43 reported to ISIS (2007)

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 13 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
Amit Thakurta

Why do zoos keep this animal

Although the smalles hornbill of Aisa, Oriental pied hornbills are still fialry large and very attractive birds displaying interesting behaviour patterns. They are therefore a very valuable species for educational purposes as well as ambassadors for their endangered habitat the ropical rain forest.

How this animal should be kept

Oriental pied hornbills should be kept in pairs. Minimum requirement is an aviary with a surface of 15 m² and a height of 3 m, perches of adequate size, a bathing opportunity, and a hollow tree for nesting. In cold and temperate climatic zones and addiitonal indoor enclosure of at least 6 m² and a height of 2.5 m is necessary.

The diet should be based on freuit. In addition, animal protein in form of one-day old chicks, mice, or meat strips, must be offered.