Helmeted hornbill
Helmeted hornbill | |
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immature male at the Jurong Bird Park. | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Bucerotiformes |
Family: | Bucerotidae |
Genus: | Rhinoplax Gloger , 1841
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Species: | R. vigil
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Binomial name | |
Rhinoplax vigil (Pennant, 1781)
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Synonyms | |
Buceros vigil Forster, 1781 |
The helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) is a very large bird in the hornbill family. It is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Thailand and Myanmar. The casque (helmetlike structure on the head) accounts for some 11% of its 3 kg weight. Unlike any other hornbill, the casque is almost solid, and is used in head-to-head combat among males.[3] It is a belief among the Punan Bah that a large helmeted hornbill guards the river between life and death.[4]
Description
It has mostly blackish plumage, except that the belly and legs are white and the tail is white with a black band near the tip of each feather. The tail is long and the two central tail feathers are much longer than the others, giving the bird a total length greater than that of any other hornbill species. The body length is 110–120 cm (43–47 in), not counting the tail feathers, which boost the length a further 50 cm (20 in). One male weighed 3.1 kg (6.8 lb) in weight while two females averaged about 2.7 kg (6.0 lb). Although sometimes considered the largest Asian hornbill, their body weight appears to be similar to that of the great hornbill (and considerably less than the African ground hornbills).[5][6]
This species has a bare, wrinkled throat patch, pale blue to greenish in females and red in males. The
Call
Their call is two parts, the first consisting of a series of loud, intermittent
Habits
Helmeted hornbills mostly eat the fruit of strangler figs. They are thought to be territorial and monogamous,[7] although little is known about their social behavior. The birds breed once a year, producing a single chick. Mother and chick live inside a sealed tree cavity for the first five months of the chick's life. Their specialized nesting behavior makes them particularly vulnerable to poaching and deforestation.[9] Males fight over territory on the wing, ramming each other with their casques.[10] Such encounters are called aerial jousting. Females accompany males during an approach in an aerial joust but veer off in opposite directions during the collision.[11]
Status
After ongoing hunting pressure and habitat loss, the helmeted hornbill was uplisted from
Ivory casque
The casque is the source of hornbill ivory, a valuable carving material. Indigenous peoples also use the central tail feathers to decorate dancing cloaks and head-dresses. Historically, the casque was also used by carvers in China and Japan.[16][17]
Cultural significance
Along with the closely related rhinoceros hornbill, the Helmeted Hornbill is prominent in the cultural practices of many indigenous groups in northern Borneo. These birds are featured in various legends, symbolizing themes such as life, death, and bravery. In the Punan Bah culture, helmeted hornbills guard the passage between life and the afterlife and judge the worth of those who pass.[18] This species is also associated with beliefs regarding headhunting. The Orang Ulu of northeastern Malaysia only allowed those who has taken a head to wear the Helmeted Hornbill's feathers.[17] Beyond spiritual symbolism, the bird's casques and feathers play a vital role in various rituals and ceremonies. The Orang Ulu carved elaborate grave markers, centerpieces, and ear-rings from hornbill casques. Many native peoples used the two long, central tail feathers to adorn ceremonial attire and weapons for weddings, funerals, and other official functions. Hornbills were traditionally hunted for their meat using blowpipes.
References
- . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ "The bird that's more valuable than ivory". Magazine. BBC News. 12 October 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- ^ [1] Archived February 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Helmeted hornbill videos, photos and facts – Rhinoplax vigil". arkive.org. Archived from the original on 2012-04-16. Retrieved 2012-05-03.
- ISBN 978-1-4200-6444-5.
- ^ .
- ^ https://www.penn.museum/sites/bulletin/3367/
- ISSN 2193-7206.
- ^ Bale, Rachael (September 2018). "Poached for Its Horn, This Rare Bird Struggles to Survive". National Geographic. Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- .
- ^ "Helmeted Hornbills - Species we work with at TRAFFIC". www.traffic.org. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
- ^ Sivasomboon, Busaba (11 October 2019). "Better protection sought for Thailand's helmeted hornbill". Minneapolis Star Tribune. Associated Press. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ^ https://www.pbase.com/dougj/birds_birds_birds
- ^ https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2016/12/16/a-boyhood-passion-that-became-the-penang-bird-park/1273129
- ^ BBC Magazine (12 Oct 2015). "The bird that's more valuable than ivory". BBC. Retrieved 13 Oct 2015.
- ^ a b Cammann, Schuyler V. R. (1950). "The story of hornbill ivory". Museum Bulletin (Penn Museum). 15 (4): 19–47.
- ISSN 0006-3207.
Further reading
- ISBN 1-55297-777-3.
- Kemp, Allen (1994). Hornbills: Bucerotidae. Oxford University Press.