Even though the Zoo had successfully hand raised chicks in the past, but it is more beneficial for the parents to rear the offspring themselves because it produces strong healthy chicks that are exposed to all hornbill behaviors. In 2010, the Zoo’s hornbills were able to successfully hatch and raise their own chick for the first time since their arrival at Nashville Zoo. By reducing this human exposure to the chick, the chick was able to be paired up with a female at another zoo. (Imprinting is when the young animal adopts characteristics of the surrogate parent making it difficult to reintroduce the chick back with its parents or other hornbills.) Keepers designed a 'hornbill costume' that they wore when feeding the chicks to prevent the birds from imprinting on them. The Zoo’s keepers went to great lengths to avoid imprinting the young bird. This chick was the first in the nation to be successfully artificially incubated and hand raised. Nashville Zoo first bred rhinoceros hornbills in 2008. The barrel is modified with a small access door and a mounted infrared camera so that keepers can determine when eggs are laid and monitor the growth of the healthy chicks. Rhinoceros hornbills feed mainly on fruit and disperse seeds of many forest tree species.At the Zoo, hornbill breeding is encouraged by offering a large wooden barrel on a raised platform to simulate a hollow tree trunk. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing. The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Rhinoceros hornbill total population size. These beautiful birds are also frequently shot at by poachers due to confusion with the highly sought-after Helmeted hornbill. Habitat destruction has led to the loss of the large trees the birds require for breeding, which in turn makes it easier for poachers to find Rhinoceros hornbills. The main threats to Rhinoceros hornbills include the loss of their rainforest habitat, as well as hunting for their meat, skull, and feathers. The chicks leave the nest when they are 80 days old but the parents continue to feed them for another 6 months. When the chicks are 1 month old, the female leaves the nest and seals the entrance again. During this period the female undergoes a complete molt. The female usually lays 1-2 white eggs and incubates them within 40 days. They leave a very small hole, just large enough for the male to feed the female, and later the chicks.

After the eggs are laid, the male collects mud and the pair pack that mud, along with food and feces, to wall up the entrance to the tree cavity. Rhinoceros hornbills make their nests inside tree trunks, and the female stays inside with the eggs and then with the chicks, while the male brings them food. The courtship and bonding of these birds are critical, as the female must trust the male to provide her with everything when she is incubating and raising chicks. Rhinoceros hornbills are monogamous and mate for life. The primary diet of these birds consists of fruit, especially figs but they will also consume insects, small reptiles, rodents, and smaller birds.ĭIET: Herbivore, Frugivore, Carnivore Mating Habits MATING BEHAVIOR Rhinoceros hornbills are herbivores (frugivores) and carnivores. Hornbills enjoy sunbathing and often perch with spread wings facing the sun. Rhinoceros hornbills are territorial birds with pairs constantly flying around their territories and during the breeding season defending them with loud trumpeting calls. Within these flocks, breeding pairs stay close to each other and the males usually feed the female in order to maintain their pair-bond. They live and spend time in pairs, however, sometimes they may gather in small flock while feeding. Rhinoceros hornbills are non-migratory diurnal birds. Biome: Forest Climate zones: Tropical Habits and Lifestyle Rhinoceros hornbills are found in lowland and mountain rain forests in Borneo, Sumatra, Java, the Malay Peninsula, and southern Thailand. The eyes of the male are red with black rims, and white with red rims in the female.

Their huge bill and casque are orange and red. They are predominately black in color, with white legs and vent and a white tail with a black band. Rhinoceros hornbills are large colorful birds found in tropical forests of Southeast Asia. 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. The rhinoceros hornbill ( Buceros rhinoceros ) is a large species of forest hornbill (Bucerotidae). Here is Some more information about Sumatran Elephant

Rhinoceros hornbill egg