Sulawesi Hornbill(Rhabdotorrhinus exarhatus)
They are also known as also known as the Sulawesi tarictic hornbill, Temminck's hornbill or Sulawesi dwarf hornbill, is a relatively small, approximately 45 cm long. The male has a yellow face and throat, and yellowish horn bill with black markings. The female has all-black plumage and a darker bill. It has black body with greenish tint on its tail and back. Male hornbill has yellow face and throat while the female has black face and throat. Both Sulawesi hornbill subspecies have their own unique characteristics. Male R. e. exarhatus has a black stripe on the lower mandible, while the lower mandible of male R. e. sanfordi has a black tinge.
Habitat
The Sulawesi hornbill is a popular species for local communities. It inhabits primary forest, forest edges, swamp forest, and secondary forest from sea level to 700 m asl. This endemic bird is distributed throughout Sulawesi Island with two recognized subspecies. R. e. exarhatus is found in North Sulawesi, southern North Sulawesi to Kulawi, Lindu Lake and Lembeh Island; R. e. sanfordi occurs in South Sulawesi, Muna Island, Buton Island, and southern Togean Island.
Diet
Eighty-five percent of the Sulawesi hornbill’s diet comprises fruits and a smaller percentage is small animals, especially invertebrates. The bird often searches for food in the middle canopy of fruiting trees, sometimes in groups of dozens of individuals that would then perch on trees.
Breeding
The Sulawesi hornbill lives in small groups of 2-10 individuals (4 birds on average). This arrangement helps protect the group’s territory and assist during breeding. In one group there may be more than one breeding pair. Breeding season begins on March-April. The female will seal herself inside a tree hollow to incubate her eggs. The male forages and deliver food for the female and chicks. A female Sulawesi hornbill usually lays 2-3 eggs in a clutch.
Population
According to the IUCN Red List, they are classed as Vulnerable(VU). The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is reported to be locally common. The population is suspected to be declining rapidly owing to ongoing habitat destruction (16.9% forest loss per ten years during 1985-1997; 36.1% loss per ten years during 1997-2001 on Sulawesi) and hunting for food and for keeping as pets.
Threats
The species is threatened with habitat destruction, with forest on Sulawesi being lost at a rate of 16.9% per ten years during 1985-1997; and 36.1% per ten years during 1997-2001. The species's specialised breeding requirements (including a dependence on large trees) makes them particularly vulnerable to forest loss and degradation. Hunting, both for food and for keeping as pets, is also a serious threat. There was a document about a dramatic crash in the population at Tangkoko in 1978-1979 which may have been driven by disease introduced by domestic poultry into wild populations.
Conservation
Conservation measures underway
None is known
Conservation measures proposed
Conduct further surveys to clarify its distribution and status. Monitor trends in the population. Protect remaining extensive tracts of forest, extend existing protected areas where appropriate, and strictly control hunting in protected areas. Lobby for improved logging practices that leave patches of old growth or large trees. Design and implement hornbill conservation programmes aimed at reducing hunting levels.