By adopting one of Thailand's many species of hornbill, you can help save these endangered birds from extinction

Story and illustration by Smith Sutibut

If we want to find a species of bird which is an indicator of the health of tropical rainforests, the hornbill is the best bet.

Being quite a large bird, hornbills need a wide area of forest in which to search for food, and their diet mainly consists of fruit. But sometimes they also eat insects and small reptiles. So apart from playing an important role in distributing plant seeds in the wild, hornbills also help control the population of insects, which is a vital task in maintaining ecological balance.

The presence of hornbills is a sign the forest is healthy. Humans can help make sure these indicator species, along with their forest homes, will always be around.

GETTING TO KNOW HORNBILLS

Of the 46 species of hornbills around the world, Thailand is home to 12 of them. The most prominent feature of the birds in this family, from which the name "hornbills" derives, is the large beak which is connected to a casque that makes the head seems even larger.

However, both the beak and the casque are not as heavy as they look because they are actually hollow inside. One exception is the casque of the Helmeted Hornbill which is solid and made from a material like ivory. For this reason the bird's carved casque is a much-sought after status symbol, just like real ivory.

Hornbills' beaks and casques can help identify the birds' age and sex. The casque also has another important function - amplifying the hornbills' calls so that they reverberate through the woods.

Birdwatchers often see hornbills flying in groups over the forest canopy, flapping their wings a few times, then gliding for some distance before starting to flap the wings again. Lacking underwing coverts - the feathers covering the base of the all-important flight feather - air is able to pass between the wing feathers, creating a loud "whooshing" noise as the birds flap their wings in mid-air. When they fly in large flocks, they can sound like an approaching storm.

Normally, hornbills live in pairs or small flocks. They hop from one branch to another foraging for different kinds of wild fruits, particularly figs which are abundant in the forest. The eating technique is spectacular to watch: After picking a fruit with its beak, a hornbill will toss it adeptly into the air and catch it in its throat.

Hornbills are monogamous all their lives. When the mating season comes around, which is between December and January, the couple will leave the flock searching for a large tree cavity in which to nest. Being creatures of habit, they usually return to the same place they used the previous year.

After mating, the female goes inside the hole and seals the entrance with plaster made from its own droppings mixed with regurgitated food and mud provided by the male. The new wall hardens as the materials dry. Thoughout the female's long weeks of self-imprisonment, food will be passed in by her loyal husband via a small opening, just big enough for the beaks to pass through.

When their single chick hatches, the male has to work harder. Apart from fruits, the father hornbill must hunt down insects and small lizards to feed the chick, which needs protein to grow.

The male hornbill's dedication to his family is impressive. Should anything happen to the father hornbill during this period, like being hunted down, the female and the young will all die from starvation.

Hornbills, therefore, are not only a symbol of a healthy forest. They are also a symbol of love, marital loyalty and family togetherness in the animal world.

HORNBILL RESEARCH FOUNDATION

One of Thailand's foremost hornbill researchers is Pilai Poonsawad of the Faculty of Science at Mahidol University.

In 1978, Acharn Pilai started a research project in Khao Yai National Park to study four species of hornbills. They are: the Great Hornbill, the Wreathed Hornbill, the Brown Hornbill, and the Oriental Pied Hornbill.

Among the research objectives then were to study the breeding habits of the birds and their diet. The project also aimed to restore the hornbills' old nests to a cosier breeding environment. Over the years, the researchers gathered much valuable data about hornbill biology and ecology which could be applied to other forests around the country.

In 1992, Acharn Pilai's research project was expanded to cover the western forests which include the famous Huay Kha Khaeng and Thung Yai-Naresuan wildlife sanctuaries. A southern forest was included in the project the following year, the Budo-Sungai Padi National Park which covers areas in Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala provinces.

The research projects in the western and southern forests focused on endangered species - the Rufous-necked Hornbill and the Plain-pouched Hornbill in the western forests; the Wrinkled Hornbill, the Rhinoceros Hornbill, the Helmeted Hornbill, the Black Hornbill, and the White-crowned Hornbill in the South.

In addition, Acharn Pilai's team also studied the distribution and status of hornbills nationwide. To expand the scope of hornbill research, the Hornbill Research Foundation was later set up with co-operation from the Mahidol University's Faculty of Science, the Forestry Department, Kasetsart University's Forestry Faculty, and Khon Kaen University's Faculty of Science.

HORNBILL FAMILY ADOPTION PROJECT

Unfortunately, the hornbill population has decreased so tremendously that some species have become endangered following the destruction of their habitats.

The problem is aggravated by people stealing hornbill babies from their nests. The practice is widespread in the South and directly affects the breeding of the birds.

Villagers around Budo-Sungai Padi National Park earn their living working as hired hands in rubber and fruit orchards. Due to their low income, they hunt the babies of wild animals for sale to gain extra money.

Even though hornbill chicks are available only once a year, they yield a high price. A baby White-Crowned Hornbill, for example, can fetch up to 30,000 baht. Young Rhinoceros hornbills can be sold for 15,000 to 20,000 baht.

The Hornbill Research Foundation tries to stop the smuggling by making the villagers their allies. To turn hunters into hornbill protectors, Acharn Pilai made them part of her hornbill conservation programme, hiring them to guard the nests from further stealing and help researchers collect information about the birds..

"By doing so we can provide them with some income as compensation and incentive not to return to selling baby hornbills," said the academic, adding that villagers can also help her expand her research and help protect the hornbills under their care.

Moreover, local villagers, she said, know the forest terrain thoroughly, which is especially important in the case of the study sites in Budo-Sungai Padi forest because the area is still not totally safe from terrorist insurgency. Also they know whereabouts of the hornbills' nest as well as the birds' mating season and their behaviour and diet.

The transformation, however, was not easy. "In the first year, no hornbills used their old nests for breeding. This was probably because they didn't feel safe after losing their babies the previous year," explained Acharn Pilai.

With new nests in place, the researchers had to train the villagers in how to deal with them. They were taught taught how to observe the birds so that they weren't seen, and also how to collect the needed information. The team got better results in the following years and more hornbills come back to their old nests.

At present, the project in the south covers 84 nests of seven species. They are Rhinoceros Hornbill, Great hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Helmeted Hornbill, White-crowned Hornbill, Black Hornbill and Wrinkled Hornbill. They are watched over by 20 people from eight villages.

"A few endangered species are found in the South," said the researcher. "The Wrinkled Hornbill was once thought to be extinct and even the Black Hornbill which is usually found in lowland forest is found here too.

"The terrain of the Budo-Sungai Padi National Park is mountainous, but one nest of Black Hornbill was reported. It was located in a remote area, so we haven't assigned anyone to watch it," said Acharn Pilai.

To strengthen the conservation work as well as the research project, and to train villagers to work as nature guides, the Hornbill Research Foundation has started the Hornbill Family Adoption Project to raise fund from the public to provide some income for villagers.

"This will allow people throughout the country to join in caring for the hornbills," said Acharn Pilai. The adopters will receive reports on the progress of their birds. And if they would like to pay their adopted feathered family a visit, the foundation can organise a trip for them to the site at the adopters' own expense.

"Last year, many adopters showed interest in visiting the birds," she explained. "This year, we have to make careful arrangements for the trip. Distance and safety have be taken to consideration. But they will get a chance to appreciate the beauty and tranquillity of nature by having local people as their guides."

Although the Hornbill Family Adoption Project will help conserve the endangered birds, the catch is that the villagers still do not have long-term support for their conservation assistance.

"As researchers, our project must stop someday. We have to move out from the area. And the villagers will lose their income, which might affect their conservation work."

Effective conservation, she added, happens when the locals can benefit from it. "We must find a way to help villagers earn a living from conservation, or to live peacefully with nature. We have yet to work that out."

Info for donations:

Here is the list of "adoption fees" per bird family per year:

Wrinkled Hornbill 7,200 baht

White-crowned Hornbill3,700 baht

Helmeted Hornbill 3,700 baht

Black Hornbill3,200 baht

Rhinoceros Hornbill 3,200 baht

Great Hornbill2,700 baht

Wreathed Hornbill 2,700 baht

Name of organisation: Hornbill Research Foundation

Address: c/o Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama 6 Road, Bangkok 10400

Tel: 246-3026 ext 4606

Fax: 644-5411