Rhinoceros Hornbill

Rhinoceros Hornbill

Scientific Name: Buceros rhinoceros

Malay Name: Enggang Badak

Chinese Name: 马来犀鸟

Range: Resident in the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra, Java and Borneo.

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: borneoensis, rhinoceros, silvestris.

Local Subspecies: rhinoceros

Size: 91–122 cm

Identification: Adult male has a bright red and yellow upward-curved casque with a black base and bill-casque junction, and pale yellow bill. Body is mostly black with a white lower belly and undertail-coverts, and a white tail with a broad black band across the centre. Eyes are reddish with a blackish eyering. Female is similar to male, but smaller in size, lacks black on casque and bill-casque junction, and has whitish eyes. Juvenile has a less-developed casque, pale blue-grey eyes with blue-grey eyering.

Habitat: Forest.

Behaviour/Ecology: Feeds on figs and other fruit, and small animals such as lizards and frogs.

Local Status: Historical records considered escapees. Status of the Sungei Buloh bird is being reviewed by the Records Committee.

Conservation Status: Vulnerable (BirdLife International 2020)

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

References:

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

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