Sulawesi Hornbill
Encyclopedia
The Sulawesi Hornbill also known as the Sulawesi Tarictic Hornbill, Temminck's Hornbill or Sulawesi Dwarf Hornbill, is a relatively small, approximately 45 cm long, black hornbill
. The male has a yellow face and throat, and black-marked yellowish-horn bill
. The female has an all black plumage
and a darker bill.
An Indonesia
n endemic
, the Sulawesi Hornbill is distributed in the tropical lowland, swamps and primary forests of Sulawesi
and nearby islands, from sea-level to altitude up to 1,100 metres. There are two subspecies of the Sulawesi Hornbill. The nominate subspecies, P. e. exarhatus, occurs in northern Sulawesi
. The second subspecies, P. e. sanfordi is found in central, east and south Sulawesi, Buton
and Muna Island
.
The Sulawesi Hornbill is a social species that lives in groups of up to 20 individuals. It is believed that only the dominant pair breeds, while the remaining members of the group act as helpers. The diet consists mainly of fruits, figs and insects. The female seals itself inside a tree hole for egg-laying. During this time, the male and helpers will provide food for the female and the young.
Widespread and common throughout its native range, the Sulawesi Hornbill is evaluated as Least Concern
on the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species.
This species is one of the tarictic hornbills that is doing better in zoos. There are three collections currently breeding the birds: Whipsnade (England), Avifauna
(the Netherlands) and San Diego (USA). At Whipsnade the birds are kept in the bird garden area whereas at San Diego they have two pairs. One pair is in the walk-through Parker Aviary and the other in a small nearby aviary.
Hornbill
Hornbills are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly-colored and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandible. Both the common English and the scientific name of the family...
. The male has a yellow face and throat, and black-marked yellowish-horn bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
. The female has an all black plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
and a darker bill.
An Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n endemic
Endemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
, the Sulawesi Hornbill is distributed in the tropical lowland, swamps and primary forests of Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
and nearby islands, from sea-level to altitude up to 1,100 metres. There are two subspecies of the Sulawesi Hornbill. The nominate subspecies, P. e. exarhatus, occurs in northern Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
. The second subspecies, P. e. sanfordi is found in central, east and south Sulawesi, Buton
Buton
Buton , is an island in Indonesia located off the southeast peninsula of Sulawesi.-History:In the precolonial era, the island, then usually known as Butung, was within the sphere of influence of Ternate...
and Muna Island
Muna Island
Muna is an island in the South East Sulawesi province of Indonesia with an area of . It is located just southeast of the island of Sulawesi....
.
The Sulawesi Hornbill is a social species that lives in groups of up to 20 individuals. It is believed that only the dominant pair breeds, while the remaining members of the group act as helpers. The diet consists mainly of fruits, figs and insects. The female seals itself inside a tree hole for egg-laying. During this time, the male and helpers will provide food for the female and the young.
Widespread and common throughout its native range, the Sulawesi Hornbill is evaluated as Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of Threatened Species.
This species is one of the tarictic hornbills that is doing better in zoos. There are three collections currently breeding the birds: Whipsnade (England), Avifauna
Vogelpark Avifauna
Vogelpark Avifauna is a large bird park in Alphen aan den Rijn, in the western Netherlands. It was the first dedicated bird park in the world. The park has a lot of greenery and ponds, and also a restaurant and a children's playground...
(the Netherlands) and San Diego (USA). At Whipsnade the birds are kept in the bird garden area whereas at San Diego they have two pairs. One pair is in the walk-through Parker Aviary and the other in a small nearby aviary.
External links
- BirdLife Species Factsheet
- IUCN Red List
- Kemp, A. C. (2001). Family Bucerotidae (Hornbills). pp. 436–523 in: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., & Sargatal, J. eds. (2001). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 6. Mousebirds to Hornbills. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 84-87334-30-X