Oriental Pied Hornbill

When I was young I had this thinking that hornbill birds could only be found in East Malaysia, mainly because Sabah and Sarawak issued postage stamps that featured these birds. And I was indeed surprised when I first sighted a hornbill in Kuala Lipis, Pahang. And the biggest surprise came this morning when my wife and I sighted three Oriental Pied Hornbill birds at the Town Park in Bandar Puteri, Puchong! Some of the trees had sprouted fruits and obviously they had attracted many birds, including these hornbills.

Hornbills eat fruit but also feast on insects and small animals such as baby birds, reptiles and even mammals. They depend on holes in big trees to nest. The male would bring mud with grass and tiny sticks to the female in the nest. The female would build a wall to block the hole in the tree, leaving a tiny hole for the male to bring back food to the female and the chicks. This will protect the chicks until they are ready to fly. The adults will then chip away the wall.

All photos shot at the Town Park, Bandar Puteri, Puchong.