HORNBILLS IN THAILAND - 2006



133



stick insect, millipede, locust, scorpion, leaf insect and snake. The data was

collected by Mr Haseng Karija of the Jakoa Group.


The pair of Rhinoceros Hombills nested on Budo Mountain (part of Budo

Sungai-Padi National Park), Bacho District, Narathiwat Province. First

found in 1999, the nest cavity is 11m (approx. 36ft) above the ground in a

67m (approx. 220ft) tall Shorea faguetiana. The nest entrance measures 33

cm x 12 cm (approx. 1ft lin x 5in). Due to unrest in Narathiwat, Yala and

Pattani Provinces and prolonged heavy rain, the feeding data is incomplete,

but would probably not have differed greatly from that of previous years.


In Budo Sungai-Padi National Park, 19 female Great Hombills were

known to have been sealed in nest cavities, with 15 of the nests having

been successful. Eleven female Rhinoceros Hombills were known to

have been sealed in nest cavities, with eight nests having been successful.

In addition, two female Helmeted Hombill Rhinoplax vigil , three female

Wreathed Hombills Aceros undulatus , one female Bushy-crested Hombill

Anorrhinus galeritus and one female White-crowned Hombill Berenicornis

comatus were known to have been sealed in nest cavities, with all of the

nests having been successful.


In Khao Yai National Park, 26 female Great Homhills were sealed in

nest cavities, but only 17 of the nests were successful. All 14 Wreathed

Hombill nests were successful, 15 out of 17 White-throated Brown Hombill

Ptilolaemus tickelli austeni (or P. austeni ) nests were successful and 25 out

of 27 Oriental Pied Hombill Anthracoceros albirostris convexus nests were

successful.


The Great Hombills in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary were the

least successful, with young fledging from only nine of the 15 nests. A

success rate of 60%. Seven of the eight Rufous-necked Hombill A. nipalensis

nests were successful and all five Plain-pouched Hombill A. subruficollis

nests, all six Tickell’s Brown Hombill P. tickelli nests and all 10 Oriental

Pied Hombill nests were successful.


On behalf of the Hornbill Research Foundation, Secretary-General,

Prof. Dr Pilai Poonswad, has written to thank the Avicultural Society for its

continued support in 2006. The foundation can be contacted: c/o Department

of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama 6 Road,

Bangkok 10400, Thailand. Tel:66-2201-5532/Fax:66-2644-5411/E-mail:

scpps@mahidol.ac.th or hombill_project2003@yahoo.com


Note: Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World , Sixth Edition,

published earlier this year, uses the following names: Helmeted Hombill

Buceros vigil , White-crowned Hombill Aceros comatus , Brown Hombill

Anorrhinus austeni and Rusty-cheeked Hombill Anorrhinus tickelli.



