Papuan Hornbill
Organism Fact Sheet: Papuan Hornbill
Photo by John P. Dumbacher
Name: Papuan Hornbill
Scientific name: Rhyticeros plicatus
Size: About 80 cm in length.
Closest Relatives: There are a total of 54 species in the hornbill family, including the Papuan Hornbill. Hornbills are closely related to kingfishers, rollers, bee-eaters, hoopoes, todies and motmots.
Range: The Papuan Hornbill occurs on New Guinea and nearby islands, including the Moluccas to the west, and the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands to the east.
Habitat: Evergreen forest. It generally occurs in the lowlands, but occasionally makes it into the highlands.
Diet: Mainly large fruit, especially figs; also some small animals.
Predators: Humans, hawks, and predatory mammals.
Interesting adaptations: Hornbills have large, downcurved bills, with a structure called a "casque" on top of the upper mandible. Their bills are often brightly colored.
Song: Vocalizations include loud grunts and honks. Also, the wings make whooshing sounds in flight.
Reproduction: Papuan Hornbills nest in natural tree cavities. As in most species of Hornbills, females seal themselves inside the cavity, leaving only a narrow opening to the outside. The female stays inside the nest for several months, brooding the eggs and the chicks. The male feeds the female and the chicks across the narrow nest opening by regurgitating food. There are usually two chicks in a nest.
Threats: While this species is not considered threatened, it has declined in some areas due to heavy hunting by humans, and has disappeared from some areas due to deforestation.
Cultural importance: Hornbills often feature prominently in human culture. The Papuan Hornbill is highly prized by hunters in certain cultures in New Guinea. Its feathers and bill are used in traditional garments, and its head and bill are represented in wooden carvings of religious significance in some cultures. Special powers are sometimes ascribed to the Papuan Hornbill. It is also eaten in some cultures.
Further reading: Kemp, A. 1995. “The Hornbills: Bucerotiformes.” Oxford University Press, Oxford. del Hoyo, J, Elliott, A, & Sargatal, J, eds. 2001. “Handbook of the Birds of the World.” Vol. 6: Mousebirds to Hornbills. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Pp. 436-523. Beehler, BM, Pratt, TK, & Zimmerman, DA. 1986. "Birds of New Guinea." Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.