Wrinkled Hornbill
Rhabdotorrhinus corrugatus
Brightly-colored medium-large hornbill. Both sexes are black with bare facial skin, blobby throat “pouches”, yellowish tails, and casqued bills. Male has pale yellowish throat and a yellow-and-red bill and casque. Female has a plain yellow bill and casque and bare blue skin around the eyes and on the “pouch”. Forages in pairs and small flocks in lowland rainforest. Gives oddly sharp grunting barks.
Identification
The wrinkled hornbill or Sunda wrinkled hornbill (Rhabdotorrhinus corrugatus) is a medium-large hornbill which is found in forest in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. The wrinkled hornbill is around 70 cm long, and has a very large bill that is fused to the skull. It has mainly black plumage, a blue eye-ring, and a broadly white or rufous-tipped tail. The male and female have different head and bill patterns. Males have bright yellow feathers on the auriculars, cheeks, throat, neck-sides and chest, but these areas are black in the female, except for the blue throat. The bill of the male is yellow with a red base and casque, and a brownish basal half of the lower mandible. The bill and casque of the female is almost entirely yellow. This is a forest species and eats mainly fruit, such as figs, although it will also eat small animals such as frogs and insects. Wrinkled hornbills do not drink, but get the water they need from their food. Their call is a harsh "Kak-kak", or a deep "Row-wow" which can be heard for miles. These birds are monogamous and remain in a pair for life. They use holes found in trees for nests, and the female will plaster over the entrance with mud and droppings, leaving a nesting mother and her chicks only a small hole, too small for them to exit. They are fed exclusively by the male, who regurgitates food for them. After several months, when the chicks are ready, the female will break out of her nest. Wrinkled hornbills were first bred in captivity in 1988. Heavy deforestation in their forest habitat has led them to be uplisted from near threatened to endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2018.
Taxonomy
Genus: Rhabdotorrhinus; Family: Bucerotidae; Order: Bucerotiformes.
- Scientific name
- Rhabdotorrhinus corrugatus
- Authority
- (Temminck, 1832)
- Order
- Bucerotiformes
- Family
- Bucerotidae
- Genus
- Rhabdotorrhinus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Visayan Hornbill
Penelopides panini
A fairly large bird of lowland and foothill forest on Panay and Negros islands. Small for a hornbill. Bill fairly short with black bands. Has black wings, a pale buffy tail with black tip, and bare skin around the eye and chin with a blue tinge. Male has pale underparts and head with a black cheek, while female is entirely black. Male is unmistakable in range. Female is similar to female Writhe-billed Hornbill, but smaller, and lacks the red bill. Voice is a short, medium-pitched honk, reminiscent of a squeaky toy.
Red Junglefowl
Gallus gallus
This “original chicken” is smaller than its domestic descendants, and is widespread throughout South and Southeast Asia; can also be found as an introduced species in many regions around the world (especially prevalent on many Pacific Islands, including Hawaii). In its introduced range and some areas of its native range it has interbred widely with feral and domestic chickens, producing intermediate hybrids. Many of these birds cannot be distinguished from genuine wild-type birds. Within native range calls are useful for ID: the wild male’s crowing is hoarse and choked off towards the end, unlike the loud, vibrant calls of the domestic rooster.
New Caledonian Streaked Fantail
Rhipidura verreauxi
Small, with a long, often fanned tail. Mostly reddish-brown with a grayish-brown head, a white eyebrow and cheek stripes, and a white throat and chest finely marked with black arrowheads. Found in forest and forest edge, avoiding open areas. Similar to Gray Fantail, but note brown back and heavily marked chest. Song is a bright, repetitive series of twanging notes; calls include a harsh “jek” and rising scold calls.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.