Halmahera is at the Eastern end of the range of Blyth’s Hornbill – this range is quite large and also covers the whole of Papua New Guinea. That makes it a hornbill species listed as Least concern, a nice change from many other hornbill species – of the 62 hornbill species profiled in the HBW, less than half are in this category while more than one third are in the three highest categories (Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable).
However, its numbers on smaller islands declining, and it is still widely hunted for both food and for trophies, particularly in its Eastern range, which includes Halmahera (source: HBW).
The male has a rufous head and neck …
… and is bigger than the female whose neck and head are black.
Apparently, the Jerusalem Zoo keeps Blyth’s Hornbill – though given the current situation in the Middle East, it might be safer not to visit the bird there.
Hornbills are difficult to breed in captivity, a problem given the conservation status of many hornbill species. So, researchers sent out questionnaires to 31 zoos keeping pairs of Blyth’s Hornbill and asked them about their experience and advice regarding the breeding of hornbills.
The result? Food and love matter. Ok, let’s put these findings in a slightly more scientific form.
Food: “An increase in the percentage of dietary proteins, prior and during the breeding season appears to stimulate pairs to breed.”
Love: “The behaviors of calling to each other and sitting in close proximity showed a general trend and were observed more frequently in successful pairs and, therefore, could be good indicators of bonded pairs. We recommend that ex situ institutions allow their hornbill pairs time to form strong bonds”
Makes a lot of sense to me – if I was a female about to spend 100 days or so locked into a hole relying on the male to feed me, I would want to be sure of strong bonds too.
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