Oriental pied hornbill

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Quick facts

Wingspan

1m

Diet

Fruits and insects

Habitat

Forest as well as cultivated land

Range

Himalayas to Bali (Indonesia)

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The oriental pied hornbill

Ill-fated lovers

Hornbills usually pair for life but for both Stumpy and her current partner, it is love at second sight. Stumpy was one of a pair previously released to the wild. The pair were often seen flying together but one day the male disappeared.

Happy together

After some time, Stumpy started paying daily visits to her current partner every day at his enclosure at JBP. He had lost his partner too – she’d died of unknown reasons in her nest, though he’d been a faithful provider. Another female was introduced to him but he did not take to her. Instead, he looked forward to Stumpy’s daily visits. The keepers decided to pair them up and they have been living happily together ever since.

It takes two

During nest-building, the female alone enlarges the tree hole and cleans it of humus and leaves, while the male, perched nearby, makes clucking noises. He brings earth to seal the tree hole with the female inside. He may make up to 20 trips a day. The nest entrance is plastered over with mud and droppings, leaving only a narrow slit. The incarcerated female and chicks are entirely dependent on the male for food.

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The keeper

Peter Teo

Deputy head keeper

Hi Peter, thanks for meeting us. Could you tell us about your daily routine here?

Peter Teo

Deputy head keeper

Could you tell us about your daily routine here?

I usually reach the park at around 6.15am. Recently, I’ve had an expansion of job scope and I’ve been roped in for other projects. But my priority is always to feed the hornbills first, before the morning briefing for staff. It’s kind of like my promise to them, no matter how busy I am.

Peter Teo

Deputy head keeper

Peter Teo

Deputy head keeper

6.15am! Why do you come in so early?

We usually clear their feeding plates at around 5pm. Birds wake up very early. When we provide them with a good breakfast, they display better too. By the time we come up after our briefing, the weather is a bit hot and they may not feel like eating. I come back on my off days, too, to feed them.

Peter Teo

Deputy head keeper

Peter Teo

Deputy head keeper

Do you prepare their food by yourself?

Yes, as I am familiar with their breeding cycles. If a nesting pair is expecting a chick, I will cut their food into smaller pieces. 40 days from when the female seals herself in the nest, the male brings more food to her, so I provide more as well. They get fruit like papayas, apples and pears, supplemented with hornbill pellets.

Together, we protect wildlife

Hornbill rescue

A regular at our Hornbill Chitchat sessions, Sally the Oriental pied hornbill was orphaned as a chick and rescued from an abandoned nest. More recently, three eggs were
rescued from Pulau Ubin and hatched at our breeding and research centre, an incubation success that was a first for the species.

The IUCN Status

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

Back from extinction

Extinct in Singapore by 1855, the species made a surprising comeback in 1994, first on Pulau Ubin and then on mainland Singapore. The bird is re-establishing healthy colonies here, thanks to our collaborative efforts with NParks, Nanyang Technological University, and Singapore Avian Conservation Project.

The IUCN Status

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

New lease of life

Our released hornbills, like Sada and Lili, have adapted supremely well to their new environment. As of last record, the prolific pair has successfully reared Angel, Bobby, Christine, Dennis, Emily and Freedom (note the alphabetical naming!) in the wild.

The IUCN Status

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.

Data Deficient

Unknown risk of extinction

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

Near Threatened

Likely to become vulnerable in the near future

Vulnerable

At high risk of extinction in the wild

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

Extinct in the Wild

Survives only in captivity

Extinct

No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity

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