Hornbills

[Briggsy]

In Chalok Lam, there are 2 hornbills that visit the Chalok Lam Bay Resort and Wattana Resort.

The birds are wild and fly in when they feel like it but there are a number of strange things going on.

1. They are virtually unafraid of humans, allowing people to get within arm's length. This is very odd as hornbills are deep forest birds not garden birds. Could be accustomed to humans through tourists and resort workers feeding them fruit but I don't buy it.

2. They are always together. This is not surprising for hornbills. But you have a male great hornbill and a female rhinoceros hornbill. They are completely different species. Be aware hornbills mate for life. Hybridisation between close species is commonly recorded amongst birds. Very surprising though.

3. Rhinoceros hornbills are only found in Thailand in the forests of the deep south in Yala, Narathiwat and Satun. It would be amazing if a vagrant found its way to the forests of Phangan and then mated with a great hornbill. Possibly a population of rhinoceros hornbills on Phangan was not previously recorded or it is a true vagrant.

4. I'm not sure if there is a population of great hornbills on Phangan. This species may be limited to the mainland in Surat. Arguably it's a short flight from the mainland to Phangan.

The point I am making is that in all likelihood, these birds have been brought to Phangan as 'pets' (Rich Thais like to keep hornbills as pets, I have often seen them in cages in the oddest locations.) and then released into the wild. Does anyone know the background? There must be some posters who have seen these birds. They're certainly a big hit with the tourists.

[ham]

In Chalok Lam, there are 2 hornbills that visit the Chalok Lam Bay Resort and Wattana Resort.

The birds are wild and fly in when they feel like it but there are a number of strange things going on.

1. They are virtually unafraid of humans, allowing people to get within arm's length. This is very odd as hornbills are deep forest birds not garden birds. Could be accustomed to humans through tourists and resort workers feeding them fruit but I don't buy it.

2. They are always together. This is not surprising for hornbills. But you have a male great hornbill and a female rhinoceros hornbill. They are completely different species. Be aware hornbills mate for life. Hybridisation between close species is commonly recorded amongst birds. Very surprising though.

3. Rhinoceros hornbills are only found in Thailand in the forests of the deep south in Yala, Narathiwat and Satun. It would be amazing if a vagrant found its way to the forests of Phangan and then mated with a great hornbill. Possibly a population of rhinoceros hornbills on Phangan was not previously recorded or it is a true vagrant.

4. I'm not sure if there is a population of great hornbills on Phangan. This species may be limited to the mainland in Surat. Arguably it's a short flight from the mainland to Phangan.

The point I am making is that in all likelihood, these birds have been brought to Phangan as 'pets' (Rich Thais like to keep hornbills as pets, I have often seen them in cages in the oddest locations.) and then released into the wild. Does anyone know the background? There must be some posters who have seen these birds. They're certainly a big hit with the tourists.

I saw them ones near the lake in Had Chaopao, the owner (Thai from Had Salad) said, the yellow one is the mother and the red one the growen up son. Beautiful and quite big creature

[Briggsy]

Sounds like the owner is talking rubbish but stranger things have happened.

If the "red one", the rhinoceros hornbill, were the offspring of the great hornbill, it would be a great-rhinoceros hornbill hybrid. It would almost certainly show some characteristics of a great hornbill. They are 2 separate species. However, it clearly shows all the characteristics of a rhinoceros hornbill (female) and none of a great so I very much doubt this is the case.

Thanks for the reply. It shows their range.

[glegolo]

Sounds like the owner is talking rubbish but stranger things have happened.

If the "red one", the rhinoceros hornbill, were the offspring of the great hornbill, it would be a great-rhinoceros hornbill hybrid. It would almost certainly show some characteristics of a great hornbill. They are 2 separate species. However, it clearly shows all the characteristics of a rhinoceros hornbill (female) and none of a great so I very much doubt this is the case.

Thanks for the reply. It shows their range.

-------------------------------

Briggsy!!

Great birds and great photos Thanks!! I am with you on this one. I have found many times when

asking simpel questions to Thai people about nature or lifes in nature. They know it moore from

what their family have told them, rather than from books and education. This thai-guy just left an

answer and than wanted to be left alone,I guess, and thinking, -"stupid falang, want to know everything!!"

Good luck with the birds...

Glegolo

[MSingh]

Surely we're lookign at a couple of escaped/released Birds here ??

Given the fact that they're also apparently not afraid of Humans & also it only seems to be " those 2 " that are spotted..

To have a Population, a thriving, healthy Poulation of either the RH or the GH on Phangang, or any other Bird/Animal for that matter, would need more than the apparent 2 Animals wouldn't it ??

Also i wonder ( & pretty much doubt ) whether the 2 diffent species would interact like they do, given the fact that if there were a Wild Population of both or either, they would interact with their own kind as opposed to another species ??

All roads point to escaped or released in my opinion..

Lovely Pics though Briggsy..

[Geekfreaklover]

The hornbills are not normally found on the gulf islands. they are, as you say, forest birds. They simply would not fly over the water to the islands. A Hornbills life is quite simple. The male finds a mate - the female bird is then incased inside of a hole of a tree and the male then finds food and feeds his mate and the chicks until they reach maturity. Once Hornbills pair, they pair for life. If one should die, they remain alone.

The birds that you have seen were bought from the pet trade. As Hornbills are so loyal, they are easy to tame. They are from the Kingfisher family, not the parrott family.

For us twitchers the Hornbills are the king of birds.

Proffesor Pilai Poonswad of Mahidol University has done much great conservation work to protect the Hornbill. She has published the best book on these magnificent birds. - The Asian Hornbills: Ecology and conservation. 1998, BIOTEC.

[Geekfreaklover]

Surely we're lookign at a couple of escaped/released Birds here ??

Given the fact that they're also apparently not afraid of Humans & also it only seems to be " those 2 " that are spotted..

To have a Population, a thriving, healthy Poulation of either the RH or the GH on Phangang, or any other Bird/Animal for that matter, would need more than the apparent 2 Animals wouldn't it ??

Also i wonder ( & pretty much doubt ) whether the 2 diffent species would interact like they do, given the fact that if there were a Wild Population of both or either, they would interact with their own kind as opposed to another species ??

All roads point to escaped or released in my opinion..

Lovely Pics though Briggsy..

All species of Hornbill do actually flock together. In Kho Yai I've seen the Great Hornbill, pied Hornbill and Brown hornbill all feeding on the same fig tree.

[MSingh]

Surely we're lookign at a couple of escaped/released Birds here ??

Given the fact that they're also apparently not afraid of Humans & also it only seems to be " those 2 " that are spotted..

To have a Population, a thriving, healthy Poulation of either the RH or the GH on Phangang, or any other Bird/Animal for that matter, would need more than the apparent 2 Animals wouldn't it ??

Also i wonder ( & pretty much doubt ) whether the 2 diffent species would interact like they do, given the fact that if there were a Wild Population of both or either, they would interact with their own kind as opposed to another species ??

All roads point to escaped or released in my opinion..

Lovely Pics though Briggsy..

All species of Hornbill do actually flock together. In Kho Yai I've seen the Great Hornbill, pied Hornbill and Brown hornbill all feeding on the same fig tree.

Then i stand corrected but happy i've learnt something today...

You don't really get many other species doing that though do you, i mean like different species of Tits, Owls, Gulls for example ??

If Birds did that regualary we wouldn't really have any out & out definitive Species of any would we ??

Edit : I'm talkign about Mating together, not Feeding together i mean, like what the Thai Person said ??

Edited August 8, 2009 by MSingh

[Briggsy]

The hornbills are not normally found on the gulf islands. they are, as you say, forest birds. The birds that you have seen were bought from the pet trade. As Hornbills are so loyal, they are easy to tame. They are from the Kingfisher family, not the parrott family.

There are breeding populations of hornbills on Ko Samet and Ko Chang. They are pied hornbills. There may be others on Koh Chang. More pristine forest on these islands though, I reckon.

Surely we're lookign at a couple of escaped/released Birds here ??

All roads point to escaped or released in my opinion..

All species of Hornbill do actually flock together. In Kho Yai I've seen the Great Hornbill, pied Hornbill and Brown hornbill all feeding on the same fig tree.

You don't really get many other species doing that though do you, i mean like different species of Tits, Owls, Gulls for example ??

If Birds did that regualary we wouldn't really have any out & out definitive Species of any would we ??

Edit : I'm talkign about Mating together, not Feeding together i mean, like what the Thai Person said ??

I agree they are almost certainly released captive birds.

With reference to hybridisation, it is not uncommon in the bird world, provided the species are very closely related. Gulls and ducks spring to mind as doing it often enough to have their mixed offspring shown in bird guides. I mean herring gulls and Iceland gulls etc., not gulls with ducks!

[EvilDrSomkid]

We had a hornbill land on our balcony in BKK at the end of June. My wife took a picture of it.

Real surpise.

Check it out:

[Samuian]

My guess is they are caught separately and came together through the owner who bought them, or brought them in one by one from the mainland and because of their instincts - stay together....even they are complete different species.

(I don't know nothing about birds...!)

[Briggsy]

Dr Somkid

I can guarantee the pied hornbill that landed on your Bangkok balcony was a released bird. There is absolutely no chance you would meet a wild hornbill in Bangkok.

You wouldn't live near Silom, would you? There's often one in the trees of the British Club.

It beggars belief that so many Thais think these birds make good cage birds and so many support the illegal trade in these threatened species. And then think they are doing some good by purchasing one and then releasing it to make merit. Law-breaking idiots.

[EvilDrSomkid]

Dr Somkid

I can guarantee the pied hornbill that landed on your Bangkok balcony was a released bird. There is absolutely no chance you would meet a wild hornbill in Bangkok.

You wouldn't live near Silom, would you? There's often one in the trees of the British Club.

I guess it was released or had escaped. Not in Silom. Chatuchak.