Identification
Adults: Smaller than other hornbill species. The plumage is generally brown to dark brown. The throat is white. Tail feathers and primary wing feathers have white tips. The chin, sides of the neck, front of the neck, and upper breast are white, tinged with buff. The beak is light yellow-brown in males and brown in females; the casque (horn) is small. The skin around the eyes is sea blue. Juveniles resemble females but have a darker grey-brown underside; wing feathers lack white tips.
Biology and Ecology
Habitat: Found in evergreen broadleaf forests, sometimes in mixed forests with deciduous trees, and secondary forests; distribution up to 1,500m altitude. Often forages in flocks, sometimes in quite large groups.
Reproduction: The breeding season is from February to June. Both male and female birds build the nest together. Nests are made in natural tree cavities, with nesting material held together by food debris and wood dust; nests are located 3.5 – 18 m above ground level; 2-5 white eggs are laid, which change color during incubation.
Distribution
National: Widespread throughout forest areas across the country.
International: India, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.
Value
Local people living near forests often hunt this species for food.
Conservation Status
Habitat loss and hunting pressure are reducing the population.
Assessment
VU A1,c,d B2c,d,e
Conservation Measures
Included in the Asian Red Data Book (2001), near threatened (NT). Currently protected in protected areas along with many other species, but they are still illegally hunted. Listed in the Vietnam Red Data Book (1992, 2000), threatened (T), and in Group IIB of Decree 48/CP-2002.