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Palawan Hornbill

Hornbills, Hoopoes & Trogons

Photo: (c) harry beaman, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY

Anthracoceros marchei

Philippine national list: Vulnerable (VU)

Basic stats

Diet

Mostly fruit; also insects and small vertebrates

Habitat

Primary and secondary dipterocarp forest, mangrove and forest edge up to about 900m

Range

Palawan and nearby islands: Balabac, Busuanga, Calauit, Culion and Coron

Size

About 70cm

Weight

About 750g (AVONET, Tobias et al. 2022)

The Palawan hornbill is a large black forest bird with a white tail and a long, thick, pale cream bill and casque, with whitish bare skin around the eyes and throat tinged blue. The female's bill and casque are smaller. It is the only hornbill in its range, so it cannot be confused. The voice is a raucous cackle, something like kaaww and kreik-kreik (Wikipedia, general species account; Birds of the World).

It is usually seen in pairs or small noisy family groups, most often in fruiting trees at the forest edge, and it roosts communally. Large-seeded trees depend on it to carry their seeds, and it needs big old trees for nesting. It does best in old-growth forest but tolerates secondary forest, and it is a target at Puerto Princesa and El Nido on this guide. Hunting, trapping for the cage-bird trade and habitat loss are threats, and it is illegal under Philippine law to hunt, capture or possess one (Wikipedia, citing published sources).

Quick answers

What does the Palawan Hornbill eat?
Mostly fruit; also insects and small vertebrates
What habitat does the Palawan Hornbill live in?
Primary and secondary dipterocarp forest, mangrove and forest edge up to about 900m
Where is the Palawan Hornbill found?
Palawan and nearby islands: Balabac, Busuanga, Calauit, Culion and Coron
How big is the Palawan Hornbill?
About 70cm
How much does the Palawan Hornbill weigh?
About 750g (AVONET, Tobias et al. 2022)
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