Blyth's Hornbill

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Photo by Mehd Halaouate

Aceros plicatus

Identification

91cm. Male - golden tanhead, black body, pale blue orbital skin, reddish brown iris, white tail. Female - all black, white throat and tail. Adult has up to eight folds on pale casque, while the young has none.

Distribution

New Guinea, west Papua islands, Yapen, D'Entrecasteaux, the Moluccas and the Solomons. Common.

Taxonomy

Subspecies^[1]

Aceros plicatus ruficollis N Moluccas and w New Guinea

Aceros plicatus plicatus S Moluccas (Kelang, Seram and Ambon)

Aceros plicatus jungei E New Guinea; vagrant to Fergusson I. (D'Entrecasteaux Arch.)

Aceros plicatus dampieri Bismarck Arch. (New Hanover, New Ireland and New Britain)

Aceros plicatus harterti Solomon Is. (Buka, Bougainville, Fauro and Shortland Islands)

Aceros plicatus mendanae NW & c Solomon Islands (Choiseul and Vella Lavella s to Malaita and Guadalcanal)

Habitat

Forest canopy.

Behaviour

In flight they are heard from a long distance as the wings make a swoooosh sound with every beat and that what makes them an easy target for hunters (besides the loud noise they make when feeding).

The diet consists of fruit, vertebrates and insects.

External Links

Search for photos of Blyth's Hornbill in the gallery

• View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages