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HORNBILLS IN THAILAND - 2006


Through the Hombill Research Foundation, Hombill Family Adoption

Programme in southern Thailand, the Avicultural Society in 2006 again

adopted two pairs of hombills, a pair of Great Hornbills Buceros bicornis and

a pair of Rhinoceros Hornbills B. rhinoceros. Both pairs again succeeded

in each fledging one chick. The Great Hombill chick fledged on August 1 st

and the Rhinoceros Hombill chick fledged on June 30th. The female Great

Hombill entered the nest hole on March 22nd and emerged on May 20th and

assisted her mate find food for the chick. The female Rhinoceros Hombill

entered the nest hole on March 14th and emerged on June 12th and helped

her mate find food to bring to the nest for the chick.



Courtesy Rolex/Tomas Bertelsen


Rhinocerus Hornbill at nest hole.



The pair of Great Hornbills nested on Budo Mountain (part of Budo

Sungai-Padi National Park), Raman District, Yala Province. First found

in 1998, the nest cavity is 29m (approx. 95ft) above the ground in a 44m

(approx. 145ft) tall Shorea faguetiana. Food brought to the nest by the male

consisted of fruits of Ficus spp., Oncosperma tigillarium , Dysoxylum sp,

Polyalthia sp, Sterculia pexa , Litsea sp, Ca nth ium sp, Aglaia spectabilis ,

Knema sp, Syzygium sp and Aphanamixis polystachya. The list of animal

foods brought to the nest consisted of centipede, lizard, skink, spider, walking



