Posted June 17, 2013 in All
Action for the Wild has been supporting the Hornbill Research Foundation since 2002, and donates $450 annually to support three hornbill families in Thailand. Our families nest around the Budo Mountain area, which is part of the Budo-Sungai Padu National Park in Thailand. The park supports six species of hornbills. In 2012, Action for the Wild sponsored families of rhinoceros, helmeted and great hornbill species. Below is a review of the families during the 2012 breeding season.
In 2012, our helmeted hornbill family were unsuccessful in breeding so unfortunately there is no data to share on this pairing.
The great hornbill family were successful in fledging a chick during 2012. The chick hatched after 40 days of incubation and stayed in the nest for 71 days. It therefore took 111 days from the sealing of the nest to the fledging of the chick. The diet for this family comprised of fruits (98.3%) and animals (1.7%). 86%% of the fruits were non- fig species, while 14% comprised of figs. Again, this family have had another successful breeding year and have fledged 10 chicks since 2001.
Our rhinoceros hornbill family again successfully fledged one chick in 2012. This took 98 days from sealing the nest to fledging. Their diet throughout the nesting period was comprised of fruits (99.1%), with animals brought infrequently (0.9%). The majority of fruits eaten were fig fruits (75.6%). This family have produced at least 10 chicks since 1999.
Data collection by the team during 2012 again was incomplete for some of the other family groups they monitor. This is again like 2011 due to incidents of unrest in Thailand’s southernmost provinces, and so working in unsafe areas had to pause. Also the deep south again experienced a prolonged period of heavy rain, making it very difficult for staff to work in the field. However, the Hornbill Family Adoption Program will still carry on for 2013, with the project continuing to monitor our hornbill families. They will also continue to promote hornbill conservation and train villagers as nature guides, so they can earn an income in a more sustainable way.
Picture of Rhino hornbill © Hornbill Foundation
