With their ostentatious bills, often colorful plumage, raucous calls, and unusual behavioral traits, hornbills are arguably one of the most charismatic groups of birds in the tropics. While hornbills are found widely across tropical Africa and Asia-Pacific, no country is home to more species than Indonesia, which has 13. Within Indonesia, Sumatra leads the way with 9 species, followed by Kalimantan.
Hornbills in Indonesia are particularly under threat due to habitat destruction. Vast areas of rainforest have been cleared for plantations and agriculture, while many of the forests that remain have been impacted by logging, which often focuses on trees hornbills depend upon for food and shelter. Some species are also targeted by the wildlife trade, including most notably, the helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil), whose dense casque (a showy protrusion atop the animal’s bill) is made up of “hornbill ivory” that’s highly sought in China.
No comments:
Post a Comment