Nesting Observations of the
Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris)
Created Apr 2001
Nesting site
On 4th Feb 2001, a nesting tree of the Oriental Pied Hornbill was found near the Sungei Perak by Dr Chan Kai Soon. Subsequently, several other birders and photographers from Perak went to observe and photograph the birds on several occasions. This webpage provides a pictorial documentation of the observations. Although the information here is not complete (the building of the nest and the incubation period were not observed), we hope that it could be useful for those interested in the breeding behaviour of hornbills. 
The picture above shows the habitat area where the nesting tree was found. The nesting hole is at a height about double that of the power pole. Photo by Cheang Kum Seng.
Photographers at nesting areaThe pictures were mostly taken by digiscoping i.e. using a combination of a digital camera and birding scopes (Ooi BY, Cheang KS, Gan TK Dr Chan AL), except those by Dr Chan KS who uses a camcorder instead.. Some film (Bernard Lee) and slides were also taken. Place cursor over thumbnail to check title of picture, click on it to see the larger picture.
Date Observers Observations
04-Feb-01 Dr Chan Kai Soon First discovery of the male hornbillFirst observation of nest found near a rural kampung. Nesting hole is about 60 feet above the ground. Observation from 8.30 am to 3.00 pm revealed seven or eight feeding sessions. The male bird perched above the hole (Photo by Dr Chan KS), regurgitated the food and delivered it into the nest. This consisted of a mixture of bananas, a worm and a lizard among other things. Sometimes, feeding was interrupted when the male was alarmed by noisy Long-tailed Parakeets flying over the nesting tree. When male was not around, at least two beaks could be seen inside nest, one about half the size of the other (presumably the female). 
 07-Feb-01 Ooi Beng Yean;
Chiu Sein Chiong;
Dr Chan Kai Soon		 Cleaning up nest openingMale usually approach nest from an adjacent branchCurious chick looking out of the nestMale passing broken snail shell into nest
Papaya being passed into the nestObservation from 4 pm to 6 pm. Four feeding trips obvserved, mostly consisting of fruits probably bananas or papayas. Chiu counted more than 30 portions during the first feeding trip. One dried shell of garden snail was also brought in. It broke  on being transferred to the female inside nest. One half of shell taken into nest by female. Last feeding trip observed was at about 5.55 pm but feeding probably continued after that time. (Photos by Ooi BY and Dr Chan KS)
09-Feb-01 Gan Tak Kong;
Laurence Poh		 Feeding garden snailsObserved at 4.08 pm. Bird was feeding the family with garden snail (Photo by Gan TK). 
10-Feb-01 Laurence Poh Nest was observed from 10.30 am to 11.30 am. No feeding observed.
10-Feb-01 Cheang Kum Seng;
Dr Chan Ah Lak;
Bernard Lee;
Dr Chan Kai Soon		 Male seldom approach nest from belowBanana was accepted with less enthusiasmFemale rubbing beak at openingObservation from 3.20 pm to 6.00 pm. At least four feeding trips observed, mostly consisting of  fruits. (Photos by Dr Chan KS)
11-Feb-01 Ooi Beng Yean;
Chiu Sein Chiong		 Part of the feeds consists of insectFrom 3.45pm -5.25pm observed the Male feeding 9 winged insects during one feeding which Ooi later looking closely at his digital pictures managed to identify as Cicadas. (Photo by Ooi BY)
18-Feb-01 Bernard Lee;
Cheang Kum Seng		 Feeding with ?meatObservation in afternoon. Saw the Male feeding what looked like some sort of  meat !  We do not know when the female will break through. (Photo by Cheang  KS)
22-Feb-01 Ooi Beng Yean;
Robert Dicandido;
Deborah Allen;
Chiu Sein Chiong		 From 9am - 11.30am observed one feeding, male seen 
regurgitating fruit either banana or papaya.
24-Feb-01 Dr Chan Kai Soon chick ejecting dropping out of openingmale at favourite branch next to nestthis feed consists of bananasmale taking a rest above the hole after feeding
feeding distracted by noisy parakeet flying overheadObserved from 3.30 pm to 6.00 pm. Four feeding trips were noted but there seem to be less food brought back than before. Mostly consist of bananas but some unidentified smaller pieces were also noted. In between feeding, both the female and chick occasionally rub their bills against the slit. The female was found to throw something out of the nest once. Also noted one bird (probably the chick) placing its anus at the slit and ejecting droppings directly out of the nest. (Photos by Dr Chan KS)
06-Mar-01 Cheang Kum Seng;
Bernard Lee		 Observed at 3.00 pm. Saw the Male feeding its family with a big SNAIL (about 3inches x 1 inch diameter) with shell!
10-Mar-01 Dr Chan Kai Soon chick places anus at openingchick eject droppings out of openingchick curiously peeping out of nestfemale's beak above and chick's beak below
male passing food directly to chick this timepart of diet looks like beetlesObserved from 4.00 pm to 7.20 pm. Four feeding trips were noted. The first two  consisted of what appeared to be some worms and insects (?beetles) which were quickly accepted by the birds inside the nest. The other two trips consisted mostly of bananas and there seemed to be some reluctance to accept this diet. No feeding observed after 6.00 pm. The female beak (greyish-black) can be easily distinguished from the chick's which is yellow and without a casque.  In between feeding, the chick seemed to be very curious about the outside world, repeatedly peeping out of the opening. Observed one instance of the chick 'shooting' its droppings out of the nest. The female also cleaned up some debris stuck to the lower edge of the opening.
black hb at durian treeblack hb at banana treeA Black Hornbill passed by below the nesting area at about 6.30 pm but the male did not happen to be around and so it is not known how it would have reacted. (Photos by Dr Chan KS)
12-Mar-01 Yang Chong;
Cheang Kum Seng		 At 6.04pm sighted the Male OPHornbill feeding its family with a total of 12 to 15 small food items consisting of at least 8 items of insect food (beetles, cockroach) & one spider.  Others not identifiable.  All items were regurgitated by the Male. 
17-Mar-01 Bernard Lee Monitor lizard in nestMade a visit on Saturday afternoon to the nesting, saw that the mud guard was broken and instead of seeing the fledging hornbill, a monitor lizard was inside. (Photo by Bernard Lee)
Comments by Mike Chong (23rd Mar ) about the 17-Mar-01 observation:
The chick may have fledged due to the fact that it had been  c40 days since last seen/posting on 8-9/3 by you and Beng Yean and fact the that the male fed chick/female in nest 3 times in 1.5 hours during your observation. Smaller hornbills take shorter time than the c90 days that larger hornbills chicks/female stay in nest. Female will have gone out first and chick closed entrance and breaks open entrance again when its ready to leave. Sometimes female and chick will come out together if there's only one chick and there's room in nest for both female and chick.

That's why it's useful to keep observation on regular term as then we know what happens until fledging time (of course not possible all the time). On you and Beng Yean's observations female may have gone out of nest, as the entrance looked fresh with "new mud" plaster, especally on your picture of 9/3/01, especially on left side of entrance if you look carefully.  You can look around the area to see if juvenile is around to confirm this. My guess is that only one chick was in nest...but usually OPH has two chicks.
 
Further comments (23rd Mar) by Mike:
On another note, OPH nest may also have been poached, as the entrance of nest (with monitor lizard) looked too large for female/chick to have made it. Normally female/chick would only break entrance so that they can just squeeze out of hole, but not to extent of making a big "door". This is beacuse they can save energy as plaster can be very hard & takes long time to break. Also in case while they are breaking and a predator comes along they are still safe if entrance is small. It all makes sense as these birds know the rules to survive! If your observation area was "open" & people can see the happenings, some people may have seen you observing the hornbills and came later...?maybe. Its always good to make sure that people are not watching you watching nests, to safeguard occupants.

Monitor lizards usually roost in holes in trees as a save way to sleep, and I've seen it many times before. OPHs are also very fierce towards monitors and I've seen slides of OPH chasing monitors from holes!! 

(Note from Dr Chan Kai Soon : Mike's concern about poachers and predators finding the nest as a result of birders observing the nest is laudable. I would like to reassure that due care and discretion had been exercised in our observing the bird. I believe that poachers, at least, had not raided the nest.)
 
Mr Cheang Kum Seng had been observing and photographing the Oriental Pied Hornbills of this area for some time. Some of  his photos from previous trips will be put in a separate section soon.
If you have any comments, please email to kaisoon@pc.jaring.my