White-crowned Hornbill
Berenicornis comatus
Eccentric-looking hornbill with a bushy, upright white crest and a white tail. Male is white from the head down to the belly; female is predominantly black, with only a white crest. Pale wing edges revealed only when in flight. Unlike many other hornbills in its range, forages primarily at lower levels in the forest, frequently descending down to the ground. Social; forages in flocks. Gives rather soothing, owl-like hooting coos.
Identification
Berenicornis comatus is a large hornbill, reaching a length of 83–102 cm (33–40 in) and a weight of 1.3–1.5 kg (2.9–3.3 lb). Females are smaller than males. The plumage is black and white. The head, neck, breast and tail are white, while the remaining plumage is black. It has white crown feathers erected in a crest (hence the common name). Between the eye and the bill and on the throat there is bare dark blue skin. The bill is mainly black, with a yellowish base. Like most hornbills, it has a blackish casque on the top of its bill. The female has a black neck and underparts.
Taxonomy
It is monotypic within the genus Berenicornis, although rarely the white-crested hornbill is also included in this genus, and the white-crowned hornbill is sometimes placed in genus Aceros instead.
- Scientific name
- Berenicornis comatus
- Authority
- (Raffles, 1822)
- Order
- Bucerotiformes
- Family
- Bucerotidae
- Genus
- Berenicornis
Range and habitat
This species is found in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. This bird inhabits rainforests at low and medium altitudes, usually at an elevation below 900 meters. It may also be found on fruit, oil-palm and rubber plantations. It is threatened by habitat destruction.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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A medium-sized, long-billed sunbird in which males and females are very different. Males have a green head, purple forehead, red-and-yellow band across the chest, and a black belly. Females are plain, with olive-gray on the back and pale gray below. Found in dry thorn savanna, woodland, and gardens. Male could be confused with Black-bellied, Gorgeous, or Beautiful Sunbirds, but is chunkier and larger, and lacks the elongated central tail feathers of those species. Females can be identified with caution by their combination of plain, unstreaked underparts, long bill, and conspicuous pale eyebrow. Common vocalizations include a “vit” call, warbling series, and dry trills.
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Chunky dark brown raptor with a white belly marked by thin bars. Immatures are brown when perched, and show rufous patches in the underwing in flight. Found in savanna habitats. Soars frequently and sometimes hovers. Very similar to Short-toed Snake-Eagle, but has darker upperparts and narrower dark bars on the belly; the front of the underwings looks white and unbarred in flight. Immature similar to immature Black-breasted and Short-toed Snake-Eagles, but identified by the rufous patches on the underwings.
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