Alternative name: Papuan Hornbill
- Rhyticeros plicatus
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 Solomon Islands. Common.
Taxonomy
====Subspecies There are 6 subspecies[1]====
- R. p. ruficollis:
- Northern Moluccas and western New Guinea
- R. p. plicatus:
- Southern Moluccas (Kelang, Seram and Ambon)
- R. p. jungei:
- Eastern New Guinea; vagrant to Fergusson Island (D'Entrecasteaux Archaepelago)
- R. p. dampieri:
- Bismarck Archaepelago (New Hanover, New Ireland and New Britain)
- R. p. harterti:
- Solomon Islands (Buka, Bougainville, Fauro and Shortland Islands)
- R. p. mendanae:
- North-western and central Solomon Islands (Choiseul and Vella Lavella south to Malaita and Guadalcanal)
This species has been placed in the genus Aceros.
Habitat
Canopy of moist lowland forest.
Behaviour
In flight they are heard from a long distance as the wings make a swoooosh sound with every beat and that's what makes them an easy target for hunters (besides the loud noise they make when feeding).
Diet
The diet consists of fruit, vertebrates and insects.
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Blyth's Hornbill. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 December 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Blyth%27s_Hornbill
