Sulu hornbill

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Sulu hornbill
Anthracoceros montani 001.jpg
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Bucerotiformes
Family: Bucerotidae
Genus: Anthracoceros
Species:
A. montani
Binomial name
Anthracoceros montani
(Oustalet, 1880)

The Sulu hornbill (Anthracoceros montani), or Montano's hornbill, is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is endemic to the Sulu archipelago in the Philippines, with the remaining populations in Tawi-Tawi with it believed to be hunted to extinction on Jolo. [1] [3] [4] Its natural habitat is tropical moist forests. It is threatened by habitat loss as well as potential harvesting for food. [1] Its diet includes fruit, insects, and small lizards. [3]

Contents

In 2019 it was reported that only 27 mature individual hornbills are still believed to be alive in the wild making it one of the most endangered animals in the world. [5]

Description and taxonomy

EBird describes the bird as "A large bird of lowland and montane forest on the Sulu Islands, although probably only remaining on Tawi-Tawi. Feeds particularly on fig trees. One of the rarest birds in the world. Entirely black except for a white tail. Has a long, thick black bill, a black casque, and black bare skin around the eye. Male has pale eyes and female has brown eyes and a smaller casque. Unmistakable. The only hornbill in its range. Voice is a nasal cackling." [6]

Forms a sepcies cluster with Palawan hornbill, Malabar pied hornbill and the Oriental pied hornbill. It is most closely related to the Palawan hornbill but mainly differs in its all black face and bill.

Ecology and behavior

It is locally known as "tawsi". [7]

Feeding

Diet is mainly fruit but also feeds on insects, small mammals and reptiles. Recorded in pairs

Sulu hornbill featured in a 1992 Philippine stamp of endangered species Anthracoceros montani 1992 stamp of the Philippines.jpg
Sulu hornbill featured in a 1992 Philippine stamp of endangered species

Breeding

All hornbills are monogamous and mate for life.They are cavity nesters and rely on large dipterocarp trees for breeding. The female seals itself within the tree cavity and the male is in charge of gathering food for its mate and chicks. The male stores food in a gular pouch and regurgitates it to feed its mate and chicks.

Species specific information on its breeding habits are limited. Nests have been recorded from June to September. Reported to lay 2 eggs [8]

Habitat and conservation status

It inhabits primary dipterocarp forest, typically on mountain slopes (although this may simply reflect a constraint enforced by forest loss), occasionally visiting isolated fruiting trees over 1 km from the nearest forest. It requires large trees for nesting.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed this bird as critically endangered. In 2019, it was reported that only 27 mature individual hornbills are still believed to be alive in the wild. However, these figures are rough estimates this figure is disputed. Biggest numbers in the past decade seen together was 10 mature birds in 2014. [5]

While the exact numbers are unknown, this is still undoubtedly the most endangered hornbill and one of the most endangered animals in the entire world. It has gone extinct on the island of Jolo with the last record in 1930s, due to hunting and the remaining populations in Tawi-Tawi are threatened by habitat destruction through logging and slash-and-burn farming. [9]

The only species specific conservation actions as of 2019 were 16 "tawsi Rangers" employed by the local government patrolling against illegal logging and protecting nests.

In 2019, 44 participants which included military, conservationists, local government participated in a meeting hosted by the IUCN Species Survival Commission to formulate a species conservation plan. This meeting created a 10 year plan for the species continued survival. Conservation actions proposed were to improve the estimates on population and understanding of its ecology. This plan also included the creation of a species conservation program that involved the locals.

While an ex-situ captive breeding program was discussed, participants agreed that due issues with ownership of the birds and general lack of expertise, that these plans be re-explored 6-10 years in the future. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hornbill</span> Family of birds

Hornbills are birds found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia of the family Bucerotidae. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly coloured and sometimes has a horny casque on the upper mandible. Hornbills have a two-lobed kidney. They are the only birds in which the first and second neck vertebrae are fused together; this probably provides a more stable platform for carrying the bill. The family is omnivorous, feeding on fruit and small animals. They are monogamous breeders nesting in natural cavities in trees and sometimes cliffs. A number of mainly insular species of hornbill with small ranges are threatened with extinction, mainly in Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-vented cockatoo</span> Species of bird

The red-vented cockatoo, also known as the Philippine cockatoo and locally katala, abukay, agay or kalangay, is a species of cockatoo. It is endemic to the Philippines formerly found throughout the entire country but due to the illegal wildlife trade it is now locally extinct in most of its range with the only sizeable population remaining in Palawan and Sulu Archipelago. There are remnant populations in Polillo Islands, Bohol and Samar. It is roughly the size and shape of the Tanimbar corella, but is easily distinguished by the red feathers around the vent. It is threatened by habitat loss and the cage-bird trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malabar pied hornbill</span> Species of bird

The Malabar pied hornbill, also known as the lesser pied hornbill, is a bird in the hornbill family, a family of tropical near-passerine birds found in the Old World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walden's hornbill</span> Species of bird

Walden's hornbill locally called dulungan, also known as the Visayan wrinkled hornbill, rufous-headed hornbill or writhe-billed hornbill, is a critically endangered species of hornbill living in the rainforests on the islands of Negros and Panay in the Philippines. It is closely related to the writhed hornbill, but can be recognized by the yellow throat and ocular skin in the male, and the blue throat and ocular skin in the female. Its binomial name commemorates the Scottish ornithologist Viscount Walden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mindanao hornbill</span> Species of bird

The Mindanao hornbill, also known as the Mindanao tarictic hornbill, is a medium-small species of hornbill found in the canopy of rainforests on Mindanao, Dinagat, Siargao and Basilan in the southern Philippines. All five Philippine tarictics were once considered a single species. Its population declining due to habitat destruction, hunting and the illegal wildlife trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great hornbill</span> Bird species

The great hornbill, also known as the concave-casqued hornbill, great Indian hornbill or great pied hornbill, is one of the larger members of the hornbill family. It occurs in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is predominantly frugivorous, but also preys on small mammals, reptiles and birds. It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2018. It is known to have lived for nearly 50 years in captivity. Due to its large size and colour, and importance in many tribal cultures and rituals, the Government of Kerala declared it as the official Kerala state bird. It is also the state bird of Arunachal Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wreathed hornbill</span> Species of bird

The wreathed hornbill is an Old World tropical bird of the hornbill family Bucerotidae, also called bar-pouched wreathed hornbill due to its distinctive blue-black band on its lower throat sac. It is named after its characteristic long, curved bill that develops ridges, or wreaths, on the casque of the upper mandible in adults. Males are black with a rufous crown, a white upper breast and face, and a yellow featherless throat. Females are uniformly black with a blue throat and are slightly smaller than males.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bucerotiformes</span> Order of birds

Bucerotiformes is an order of birds that contains the hornbills, ground hornbills, hoopoes and wood hoopoes. These birds were previously classified as members of Coraciiformes. The clade is distributed in Africa, Asia, Europe and Melanesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous hornbill</span> Species of bird

The rufous hornbill, also known as the Philippine hornbill and locally as kalaw, is a large species of hornbill endemic to the Philippines. They are referred by locals as the "clock-of-the-mountains" due to its large booming call which typically occur of every hour. It occurs in moist tropical lowland forest. They are now considered to be a threatened species and its reasons for decline being habitat destruction, hunting and poaching for the illegal pet trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palawan hornbill</span> Species of bird

The Palawan hornbill is a large forest bird endemic to the Philippines. It is one of the 11 endemic hornbills in the country. It is only found in Palawan and nearby islands of Balabac, Busuanga, Calauit, Culion and Coron. It is locally known as "talusi" in the language Cuyunon. It is threatened by habitat loss, hunting and trapping for the cage-bird trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-crowned hornbill</span> Species of bird

The white-crowned hornbill, also known as the long-crested hornbill or white-crested hornbill, is a species of hornbill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Writhed hornbill</span> Species of bird

The writhed hornbill, also known as the Mindanao wrinkled hornbill, is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is endemic to primarily lowland forests on the Philippine islands of Mindanao, Dinagat and Camiguin Sur. It formerly included the Walden's hornbill as a subspecies, but unlike that species, both sexes of the writhed hornbill have orange-red throat and peri-ocular skin. The writhed hornbill is threatened by habitat loss and hunting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narcondam hornbill</span> Species of bird

The Narcondam hornbill is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is endemic to the Indian island of Narcondam in the Andamans. Males and females have a distinct plumage. The Narcondam hornbill has the smallest home range out of all the species of Asian hornbills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oriental pied hornbill</span> Species of bird

The oriental pied hornbill is an Indo-Malayan pied hornbill, a large canopy-dwelling bird belonging to the family Bucerotidae. Two other common names for this species are Sunda pied hornbill (convexus) and Malaysian pied hornbill.

The brown-cheeked hornbill is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is found in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Its natural habitats are tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, plantations, and secondary growth forests. It is threatened by habitat destruction, as timber is harvested and the forests become increasingly fragmented.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mindoro hornbill</span> Species of bird

The Mindoro hornbill is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is endemic to forests on Mindoro in the Philippines found in tropical moist lowland forests. As is the case with all five Philippine tarictic hornbills, formerly considered to be just one species. It is the only tarictic hornbill where both sexes are creamy-white and black. The sexes are very similar, differing primarily in the colour of the ocular ring. It is threatened by habitat loss, and is consequently considered endangered by the IUCN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samar hornbill</span> Species of bird

The Samar hornbill is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is found in forests on the islands of Samar, Calicoan, Leyte and Bohol in the east-central Philippines. As is the case with all Philippine tarictic hornbills, it has been considered a subspecies of Visayan hornbill Alternatively, it is considered a subspecies of Mindanao hornbill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flame-breasted fruit dove</span> Species of bird

The flame-breasted fruit dove is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Philippines where it is only found in the mountains of Luzon. It is the largest fruit dove in the country and rivals the size of Imperial pigeons. It is identified with its red hood, black wings with a red patch on its secondaries and its unmistakable flame-coloured breast. Its natural habitats are in upper areas of the tropical moist lowland forest and in mid to upper montane forest. It is threatened by habitat loss, poaching for the pet trade and hunting for food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulu boobook</span> Species of owl

The Sulu boobook or Sulu hawk-owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines. It was previously known as a subspecies of the Philippine hawk-owl, but was reclassified in 2012, as voice and other evidence suggested it was a distinct species. It is found in tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-billed hanging parrot</span> Parrot species from the Philippines

The black-billed hanging parrot is a hanging parrot native to the Sulu Archipelago of the Philippines. It was formerly conspecific with the Philippine hanging parrot.

References

  1. 1 2 3 BirdLife International (2020). "Anthracoceros montani". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T22682447A178062684. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22682447A178062684.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. 1 2 Anthracoceros montani factsheet at BirdBase
  4. "Sulu hornbill media". Internet Bird Collection .
  5. 1 2 Sarmiento, Bong (3 October 2019). "Race to conserve few remaining Sulu hornbills on". MindaNews. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  6. "Sulu Hornbill". Ebird.
  7. Carreon, Frencie (December 13, 2024). "The struggle to save the Sulu hornbill". Rappler . Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  8. Kemp, Alan C.; Boesman, Peter F. D.; Sharpe, Christopher J. (2020). "Sulu Hornbill (Anthracoceros montani), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.sulhor2.01species_shared.bow.project_name. ISSN   2771-3105.
  9. Allen, Desmond (2020). Birds of the Philippines. Barcelona: Lynx and Birdlife International Field Guides. pp. 200–201.
  10. "SULU HORNBILL: SPECIES CONSERVATION STRATEGY AND 2019–29 ACTION PLAN" (PDF).