Great Hornbill

(Buceros bicornis), a bird of the Buceroti-dae family, order Coraciiformes.

The plumage of the great hornbill is black and white. There are two horny protuberances on the bill. The bird may reach about 120 cm in length. The great hornbill is found in forests of the lower belt of the mountains of Hindustan, eastern Indochina, and Malacca. It nests in hollow trees at a height of 3– m. The clutch usually contains two white eggs. When brooding, the female seals herself up in the hollow tree, closing the entrance with her own droppings and leaving a narrow opening through which the male can give her food. After the nestlings have hatched, the female abandons the nest and rebuilds the broken wall. Both she and the male feed the young birds. The great hornbill feeds mainly on fruits (sometimes damaging orchards), in addition to reptiles, rodents, and large insects.