Rhyticeros plicatus Forster, JR, 1781

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Threats:

Despite the loss of forest habitat in some parts of its range, the Papuan hornbill remains common in many areas, even abundant on certain islands (2). This may be due to its tolerance of a wide range of habitats (2), even those that have been recently logged (6). However, whilst the Papuan hornbill is not currently considered to be threatened with extinction (1), its tolerance for logged areas should be viewed with caution, as it does require large trees for nesting (6). Another potential threat is hunting, as it is said to be widely hunted (2). It has been reported that local people of New Guinea do not eat this bird, but use its distinctive beak in jewellery (4).

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Conservation:

There are no known conservation measures currently in place for the Papuan hornbill.

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Blyth's hornbill:

Blyth's hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus), also known as the Papuan hornbill, is a large hornbill inhabiting the forest canopy in Wallacea and Melanesia. Its local name in Tok Pisin is kokomo.[1]

Previously, this hornbill was placed in the genus Aceros. It has often been lumped with the plain-pouched hornbill (R. subruficollis), and sometimes considered to include the Narcondam hornbill (R. narcondami) and the wreathed hornbill (R. undulatus) as subspecies.[2]

The common name commemorates Edward Blyth (1810–1873), English zoologist and Curator of the Museum of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.



Description[edit]

Up to 91 cm (36 in) in length, the adult male has mainly black plumage with a golden or orange-buff head, white throat and a white tail. Its irises are reddish brown, and the eye is surrounded by naked pale blue skin. The female is a smaller, mainly black bird with a white throat and tail. Both sexes have a very large horn-coloured bill and casque. Young birds of both sexes resemble the male. Adults have up to eight folds on the pale casque, depending on age, while young birds have none.[3]

In flight the sound of its wings is loud and distinctive, a rushing noise that has been compared to the sound of steam escaping from a steam locomotive. It has a range of far-reaching, guttural grunting and laughing calls.[3]

Subspecies[edit]

Various subspecies have been described across its range:[4]

Distribution and ecology[edit]

The Papuan hornbill occurs throughout lowland forests, from sea level up to 1,200–1,500 m ASL, in the Moluccas, New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and as far east as the Solomon Islands. It is the only hornbill species native to New Guinea, and one of the largest flying birds of the region.[5]

Its diet consists mainly of fruits, especially figs, occasionally supplemented with insects and other small animals.[3]

The Papuan hornbill nests in a large tree hollow in the rainforest, from at least 18 metres (59 ft) up to 30 m (98 ft) above the ground. The female is restricted to the nest cavity throughout the incubation and nestling period, being largely sealed inside by plastering up the entrance with a mixture of fruit pulp and rotten wood, leaving only a narrow aperture through which the male feeds her. The clutch size is about two eggs.[6]

Status and relationship with humans[edit]

Still widespread throughout its large range, the Papuan hornbill is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.[7] However, it is subject to hunting pressure by some tribal groups, who use its feathers in headdresses, its bill as a personal adornment, and the lower mandible as a spear point. As a consequence, it is becoming rarer in some areas of New Guinea. On the other hand, this species has withstood tens of millennia of human hunting pressure. So as long as sufficient habitat is preserved, it is unlikely that hunting alone will prove a significant threat.[8]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ Majnep & Bulmer (1977): p.129, Coates (1985), Coates & Bishop (1997)
  2. ^ Rasmussen (2000)
  3. ^ a b c Coates (1985): p.442
  4. ^ Coates (1985): p.444, Coates & Bishop (1997): p.148, Steadman (2006): pp.123,153,366-367
  5. ^ Coates (1985), Coates & Bishop (1997)
  6. ^ Coates (1985): p.444
  7. ^ BLI (2008)
  8. ^ Majnep & Bulmer (1977): p.129, Coates (1985): pp.442,444, Steadman (2006): pp.366-367

References[edit]

  • BirdLife International (2008). Aceros plicatus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 31 May 2009.
  • Coates, Brian J. (1985): The Birds of Papua New Guinea (Vol.1: Non-Passerines). Dove Publications, Alderley, Queensland, Australia. ISBN 0-9590257-0-7
  • Coates, Brian J. & Bishop, K. David (1997): A Guide to the Birds of Wallacea, Sulawesi, the Moluccas and Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia. Dove Publications, Alderley, Queensland, Australia. ISBN 0-9590257-3-1
  • Majnep, Ian Saem & Bulmer, Ralph (1977): Birds of my Kalam Country. Auckland University Press, Auckland, New Zealand.
  • Rasmussen, Pamela C. (2000): A review of the taxonomy and status of the Plain-pouched Hornbill Aceros subruficollis. Forktail 16: 83-86. PDF fulltext[dead link]
  • Steadman, David William (2006): Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-77142-3
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Sourcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blyth's_hornbill&oldid=639646047

The adult male has a mainly black plumage with a golden or orange-buff coloured head, white throat and a white tail. Its irides are reddish brown, surrounded by naked pale blue skin around the eye. The female is a smaller predominantly black bird with a white throat and tail. Both sexes have a very large, horn-coloured, bill and casque. Both sexes of young birds resemble the male. Adults have up to eight folds on the pale casque, depending on age, while young birds have none. Rufous on neck varies along gradient (E-W) from deep rufous to golden-rufous. Juvenile similar to mal, but bit smaller, no casque. In flight the sound of its wings is loud and distinctive, a rushing noise that has been compared to the sound of steam escaping from a steam locomotive. As well as the noise produced by its wings, the Papuan Hornbill has a range of far-reaching, guttural grunting and laughing calls.

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Distribution:

    N Moluccas, Seram and Ambon through New Guinea and adjacent islands to ¬Bismarck Archipelago, and E to Solomon Is (Buka, Bougainville, Shortland, Choiseul, Santa Isabel, Guadalcanal and Malaita).
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1190-2000 g male, 1500-2000 g female. Up to 91 cm in length

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorKaterina Tvardikova
Sourcehttp://pngbirds.myspecies.info/node/819

The adult male has a mainly black plumage with a golden or orange-buff coloured head, white throat and a white tail. Its irides are reddish brown, surrounded by naked pale blue skin around the eye. The female is a smaller predominantly black bird with a white throat and tail. Both sexes have a very large, horn-coloured, bill and casque. Both sexes of young birds resemble the male. Adults have up to eight folds on the pale casque, depending on age, while young birds have none. Rufous on neck varies along gradient (E-W) from deep rufous to golden-rufous. Juvenile similar to mal, but bit smaller, no casque. In flight the sound of its wings is loud and distinctive, a rushing noise that has been compared to the sound of steam escaping from a steam locomotive. As well as the noise produced by its wings, the Papuan Hornbill has a range of far-reaching, guttural grunting and laughing calls.

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorKaterina Tvardikova
Sourcehttp://pngbirds.myspecies.info/node/819

The Papuan Hornbill occurs throughout lowland forests (primary nad secondary), from sea level up to 1,200-1,500 m ASL, rarely up to 1800 m. Also extending to deciduous riverine woodland and swamp forest.

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Rights holder/AuthorKaterina Tvardikova
Sourcehttp://pngbirds.myspecies.info/node/819

Biology:

Unsurprisingly, considering its rather large size and striking appearance, the Papuan hornbill is said to be a conspicuous bird, which can be seen flying high over the forest, frequently emitting its distinctive call and making a whooshing sound with the beats of its wings (5). Although the Papuan hornbill is usually recorded in pairs or small flocks (2), groups of up to 50 birds have also been reported (5). Its feeds primarily on fruits, such as figs, but is also known to eat crabs found on beaches, the honeycomb of bees (2), and strangely, soil. The practice of eating soil, known as geophagy, may possibly be carried out to bind the poisonous or bitter tasting substances that are found in many fruits and seeds that the hornbill consumes, thus allowing it to digest these otherwise nutritious plant parts (7). Although little is known about the breeding biology of the Papuan hornbill, it is thought to lay eggs from about August until October in the west of its range, and between January and May in the east (2). The female lays one to two eggs into a natural hole in a tree (2), which she has shut herself into by building a wall of mud and wood (4). The male feeds the female by regurgitating food through a small hole in this wall (2).

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Rights holder/AuthorCopyright Wildscreen 2003-2008
Sourcehttp://www.arkive.org/papuan-hornbill/aceros-plicatus/

Habitat and Ecology:

Systems

  • Terrestrial
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Rights holder/AuthorInternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/22682544
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