As their care team, our job is to monitor these animals closely for any signs of things out of the ordinary. Traumatic injuries, infections, and even cancers have all been described in the casques of both wild hornbill species and hornbill species in human care. Hypotheses range from use as an ornamental structure (for example, attracting a mate), reinforcement of the beak for high impact pecking behaviors, or use as a resonance chamber to help vocalizations carry farther.ĭespite the beauty and impressiveness of the casque, problems can arise from this structure. ![]() In other species, the purpose is less clear. So, what is the purpose of those impressive casques? The answer is that nobody knows for certain! In some species like the helmeted hornbill, the casque is thought to be used in combat, as these birds often engage in a behavior called aerial jousting. It is found in lowland and montane, tropical and subtropical climates and in mountain rain forests up to 1,400 metres in Borneo, Sumatra, Java, the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, and southern Thailand. In captivity it can live for up to 35 years. ![]() In rhinoceros hornbills, the casque is immense and extends nearly as far forward as the upper beak but is almost entirely hollow on the inside! Helmeted hornbills have casques that are almost completely solid and resemble ivory in texture. The rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros) is a large species of forest hornbill. The casques of ground hornbills are small and poorly developed compared to other hornbills. The “horns,” or casques, of hornbills are actually extensions of the upper beak and are just as diverse as hornbill species themselves. Regardless of what they eat, all hornbills have poorly developed tongues, so rely on a feeding mechanism called “ballistic transport,” in which food is tossed from the tip of the beak into the back of the throat. To nest however, they look for old or dead trees with cavity. You might get giddy living up on a 70 m Dipterocarpus tree, but it is home for the rhinoceros hornbill. ![]() They spend their entire lives on treetops. While many Asian species subsist on a diet of fruits and insects, the African species (the ground hornbills) spend most of their time walking on the ground and are strictly carnivores. The Rhinoceros hornbill is one of the largest birds in rainforests of Asia. The hornbill family contains a diverse number of species, three of which are housed here at Zoo Atlanta. While these long-beaked animals might superficially resemble toucans, the hornbill family (Bucerotidae) is not closely related to the toucan family at all! Hornbills are a fascinating group of birds.
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