05 August 2008

Singapore Hornbill



I have been here for quite some months now but I never had the opportunity to see a hornbill in the wild until today. These are rare strange birds that usually depend on large living trees for nesting. As a result they can be seen on the nearby Ubin Island but are a rarity in Singapore mainland. Their trademark surely is their large long bill (which somehow looks like a second beak on top of the first one). It is made of a honeycomb bone which means that it is much lighter than it looks like. It is basically a black and white bird but still manages to be quite attractive. I understand they feed on fruits but also on small insects or even reptiles. They also fly very awkwardly.

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