Hornbill

Hornbill birds got their name from their unusual large bills that of the musical instrument called the "Horn". These birds are typically intelligent and friendly birds belonging to the Bucerotidae family or the simply the Hornbill Family.

They have a unique characteristic from other birds since they have dual-vertebrae necks which means their necks are composed of  two bones to support their large heavy bills.

One thing peculiar about hornbills is the way they eat since they toss their food or slide it from the tip of their bills to their throats to swallow it. This is because their tongues are too short to manipulate it due to their unproportioned large bills.
 

Widely found in Asia and Africa, hornbills have more 50 living species today. Some of their species are already in a threatened state and near extinction  due to illegal hunting, illegal logging and captivity that prevent their breeding.

A hornbill bird on a cage in Cebu Zoo.

Hornbills have a distinct characteristics according to specie, they usually differ from size. The smallest of its kind is the Black Dwarf Hornbill that only grows up to 30 centimeter in length and weighs up tp a hundred grams. The largest of the hornbill family is the Southern Ground Hornbill that can stand as much as 4 feet in length and would weigh more than 6 kilograms.
 

Hornbill birds often fly in flock or in pairs. Majority eat fruits, however, some reportedly eat insects and other small animals.

They have a great contribution to ecology since they usually eat fruit in the wild which means they are seed dispersers which is essential in growing new trees in rainforests.

A female hornbill bird can lay up to 6 eggs in a nest and normally build their nest together with their mates on abandoned nests on some other birds or on existing holes on trees and rocks with a size enough for the female’s body.
 

A handful of hornbill birds can be found in the backyard portion of Cebu Zoo with captivating long eyelashes.

An actual footage of a Hornbill: