7/29/2023 0 Comments Rhinoceros hornbill breeding![]() See the full story on this week’s episode of The Secret Life of The Zoo, which will be broadcast on Channel 4 on Thursday 20 February at 8pm. The chicks at the zoo hatched in May last year but remained sealed in their nest for two and a half months until they were ready to fledge. We’ve already seen the birds in the wild using our boxes to rear their young, giving a vital boost to their wild numbers.” Part of this work involves the erection of artificial nest boxes which, in the absence of tall, cavernous trees that they would normally live in, provides the birds with suitable breeding conditions that they’re comfortable in. Our bird conservationists are out in Malaysia where, alongside our partners, we’re helping the species fight off the threat of extinction as their rainforest home is being cleared to make way for unsustainable palm oil plantations. ![]() ![]() The work that we do to breed and protect hornbills, however, goes way beyond the boundaries of the zoo. “It’s fantastic that the bird team at the zoo has been successful in breeding these new chicks. The Great Hornbill had the highest breeding success (84 ), whereas Rhinoceros, Wreathed and Helmeted Hornbills had similar breeding success (72.5, 73.1 and 71. These hornbills make their nests inside tree trunks, and the female stays inside with the eggs and then with the chicks, while the male brings them food. Mike Jordan, our Animal and Plant Collections Director, added: Breeding The courtship and bonding of these birds are critical, as the female must trust the male to provide her with everything when she is incubating and raising chicks. When the female is ready to lay her eggs. The rhinoceros hornbill is vulnerable to extinction in its native range in South East Asia, its wild number having plummeted due to habitat loss and illegal hunting. Rhinoceros Hornbills (like other hornbills) practice one of the most ingenious nesting rituals of any bird.
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