Primary 2

Great Indian Hornbills can grow to a length of 140cm. The body is covered with black feathers and the wing tips have a ban of white feathers. The neck of this bird is surrounded with circle of fur.

 

The beak is yellow and curved downward. The hornbill has bright yellow and black casque on top of its huge beak.

 

Indian hornbills are mainly fruit eaters but also actively hunt and eat insects, lizards, snakes and even nestling birds. Great Indian Hornbills like to eat various types of berries. 

 

You can find it in India, Thailand, South China, Vietnam and from the Malay Peninsular to Sumatra. The habitat of the indian hornbill is the tropical rainforest.

 

Female hornbills build nests in hollows of large tree trunks and the opening is sealed with feces, wood bark, and dirt. She stays in her nest until the chicks are semi-developed and relies  on the male to bring her food.

 

Indian hornbills are rare and threatened with extinction. These birds are hunted for food and medicine. The main threat is the destruction of their habitat.