The Great Hornbill is one of the largest and most spectacular birds of the forests of southern and Southeast Asia, instantly recognisable by the massive yellow-and-black casque that sits atop its huge bill. Boldly patterned in black, white and yellow, it flies with slow, powerful wingbeats whose loud whooshing can be heard from a distance as flocks move between fruiting trees high in the canopy. Its size, striking appearance and loud roaring calls have made it a cultural icon across its range.
Great Hornbills are long-lived, fruit-loving birds that play an important role as seed dispersers in tropical forests. They depend on large, mature trees both for food and for the tall hollows in which they nest, which makes them very sensitive to logging and forest loss. Combined with hunting for their casques, meat and feathers, these pressures have driven a decline that sees the species classed as Vulnerable.
There is little else like a Great Hornbill in flight: an enormous black-and-white bird with a long neck, broad barred tail and a bright yellow casque atop the bill. The vivid yellow and black bill, white wing bars and yellow-washed neck make adults unmistakable in their forest range.
| Size | Very large, 95-130 cm long with a wingspan up to about 1.8 m |
| Casque | Large, hollow yellow-and-black structure on top of the bill |
| Plumage | Black body with a white belly, white wing bar and white tail crossed by a black band |
| Neck | Often stained yellow from preen-gland oil |
| Eyes | Red in males, whitish in females, with differing casque markings |
| Flight | Heavy, undulating wingbeats producing a loud whooshing sound |
The Great Hornbill is very vocal, giving loud, deep roaring and barking calls that carry far through the forest, often building into a rapid series as birds interact or approach the nest. Pairs and groups keep up harsh, resonant grunts and roars, and the loud rushing sound of their wingbeats in flight is itself a reliable clue to their presence.
The Great Hornbill occurs in the forests of the Indian subcontinent, the Himalayan foothills and mainland Southeast Asia, extending to the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. It favours tall, undisturbed evergreen and moist deciduous forest, especially areas rich in large fruiting trees, and generally keeps to the canopy of lowland and hill forest. It depends on extensive tracts of mature forest to find enough food and suitable nest trees.
The diet is dominated by fruit, particularly wild figs, which the hornbill plucks with the tip of its huge bill and tosses back to swallow. It also takes other fruits and supplements this with small animals such as insects, lizards, snakes, nestling birds and small mammals, especially when feeding young. By carrying and dropping seeds across the forest, the Great Hornbill acts as an important disperser of many rainforest trees.
Great Hornbills nest in large natural tree hollows, where the female seals herself inside using a plaster of droppings and food remains, leaving only a narrow slit. Through this gap the male passes food to the female and, later, the chicks during the long weeks of incubation and early rearing. The female typically lays one or two eggs but usually raises a single chick, and this dependence on huge old nest trees makes the species especially vulnerable to the loss of mature forest.
- Rhinoceros Hornbill: A similarly huge Southeast Asian hornbill but with an upturned red-and-orange casque
- Wreathed Hornbill: A large forest hornbill of the same region with a wreathed bill and coloured throat pouch
- Oriental Pied Hornbill: A much smaller black-and-white hornbill sharing parts of the same range
What is the casque on a Great Hornbill for?
The hollow yellow casque is thought to act as a resonating chamber for calls and to play a role in display and mate recognition, and it differs between the sexes.
What does the Great Hornbill eat?
It feeds mainly on fruit, especially figs, and also takes insects, small reptiles, birds and small mammals, particularly when raising chicks.
How does the Great Hornbill nest?
The female seals herself inside a tree hollow with a narrow slit and is fed by the male through the gap while she incubates and broods the young.
Why is the Great Hornbill vulnerable?
Loss of the mature forest it needs for food and nest hollows, together with hunting for its casque, meat and feathers, has driven a steady decline.