Kinabatangan River: Male Rhinoceros Hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros) feeding on figs.

Hornbills are one of my favorite animals. This species in particular. They are not only large, but also some of the most colorful birds you can find anywhere. And they are also LOUD. According to the experts, the casque atop their upper bill is hollow and acts like a resonance chamber helping to amplify their calls. A lot of people wonder why these magnificent birds are called "hornbills". Well if you look closely at the way their bills are shaped, you'll realize they look like "cow horns". "Buceros" is cow horn in Greek. The most striking thing about this species is obviously the colors of it's casque and beak. Now these two are naturally white, just like your fingernails. Throughout it's lifetime, it rubs them on an oil gland under it's tail which slowly produces the striking red-orange-yellow color. I would like to make one correction though. Hornbill ivory is from the casque of the Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) and not from the Rhinoceros Hornbill.

• #travel_events
• #rhinoceros_hornbill
• #buceros_rhinoceros
• #kinbatangan_river
• #borneo