![]() ![]() They do not have fully developed casques until they are close to maturity. So, one way to tell our male, Bob, from our female, Nancy, is to look at this structure.Īnother interesting thing is that chicks do not hatch with casques. Males, who tend to be slightly larger in body size than females, also follow the trend of having larger casques. Other species include cassowaries, certain fowl, and several species of curassow.įocusing on the rhinoceros hornbills, there are several interesting things to point out about the casque. And though our hornbill species are currently the only bird species at Zoo Atlanta that are in possession of this anatomical structure, they are not alone. All 54 species of hornbills have some form of a casque including our southern ground hornbills, though theirs is more of a protruding ridge rather than a well-defined structure.Ĭasques are extensions of the upper mandible or skull, typically composed of keratin, the same stuff as our nails. The hard structure found on the rhinoceros hornbill is called a casque. Toucans are native to Central and South America, while hornbill species are native to sub-Saharan African and Asia.Īs for the “two beaks.” First, it is important to know that the beak is the exterior layer that covers the upper and lower jaw of the bird it is what we see as their mouth. Often, our guests have seen the rhinoceros hornbills and think they are a giant toucan with a “thing on its face.” And though they do resemble toucans with their large colorful beaks, unfortunately neither are related beyond being birds. The rhinoceros hornbill faces a number of threats, including loss of its rainforest habitat, as well as hunting for its meat, and its skull and feathers.“Why does it have two beaks?” A common question, or some iteration thereof, that can be heard almost daily at the viewing window of our rhinoceros hornbill habitat. Once the chicks are fully feathered and old enough to leave the nest, the parents chip away the dry mud to let the chicks out. They leave a very small hole, just large enough for the male to feed the female, and later the chicks, and for the female to defecate through the hole. 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. These 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. The diet of the rhinoceros hornbill is dominated by fruit, but it will take any insect, small reptile, rodent, and smaller birds that it can catch. The eyes of the male are red with black rims, and white with red rims in the female. The huge bill and casque are orange and red, the colour coming from preen oil rubbed on from the preen gland above the tail. The plumage is predominately black, with white legs and vent and a white tail with a black band. The rhinoceros hornbill is a large arboreal hornbill, 80 to 90 cm (31–35 in) long. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |