The Oriental-Pied Hornbill (Anthrococeros albirostris) is a species of hornbill in the Bucerotidae family. They are found throughout South and Southeast Asia from Nepal to India, from Indonesia to China. In most of their range they are common and are a species of least concern, a designation meaning there is the least danger to the species' survival. In China, they also used to be quite common, but now only live in a few isolated pockets in Tibet, Yunnan, and Guangxi Provinces.
They live in tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests. They are omnivorous, eating mostly fruits such as figs and dates, but also insects, small mammals, and reptiles.
nest cavity cutaway
Oriental Pied Hornbills nest inside a large tree cavity. The male seals the female in with mud leaving only a small opening big enough to accomodate the male's bill, so that he can feed the female and chicks. This style of nest prevents all by the smallest and most limber predators from entering the nest. Since the mother hornbill is always present and the father is usually vigilantly guarding the nest, predation against hornbill chicks is rare. The chicks emerge after about 70 days when they fledge.
The prefered nest cavities are in large older trees, so mature forest is vital for Oriental Pied Hornbill survival. Nests might be abandoned for several years and then reoccupied. Sometimes other animals such as monitor lizards will take over hornbill nests. In areas where various hornbill species overlap, one hornbill species might occupy the pervious nest of another hornbill species.
There are five species of hornbill recorded from China. All of them are rare and a few of them might already be extirpated from their China ranges. The Oriental Pied Hornbill is one of those five species.
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