Helmeted Hornbills

Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) male perched above the nest cavity, getting ready to regurgitate fruits to pass to the female and chick inside. The female is inside the dark opening visible on the left side of frame in the broken off branch. Helmeted Hornbill nest HH 22. Budo-Sungai Padi National Park Narathiwat Province Thailand

Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) male arrives at nest tree with wings spread for landing. The female is inside the dark opening visible on the left side of frame in the broken off branch. Helmeted Hornbill nest HH 22. Budo-Sungai Padi National Park Narathiwat Province Thailand

A male Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) carries a large stick insect to deliver to his mate sealed inside her nest cavity. Budo-Sungai Padi National Park, Narathiwat, Thailand.

A male Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) flies over the rainforest canopy in Thailand carrying a fig in his bill, on his way to deliver food to his mate in their nest. Budo-Sungai Padi National Park Narathiwat Province Thailand

Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) male perched above a potential nest cavity, while his mate investigates this potential nest site. Location is a remote, undisclosed forest in West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia, on the island of Borneo. Nest tree is a large dipterocarp, the usualy choice for Helmeted Hornbills, who need large old trees to find the cavities they need for nesting. (IMPORTANT NOTE: Indonesian authorities are concerned about revealing nest location in the media because of poaching. We have committed to not revealing location beyond the province level.)

Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) Male delivering fruit to female in nest cavity. Endangered Species (IUCN Red List: CR) Budo-Sungai Padi National Park Narathiwat Province, Thailand

An Iban hunter displays some of his hornbill trophies in his house in Kapuas Ulu area of West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Island of Borneo. Species displayed: Full skin of Wreathed Hornbill (Rhyticeros undulatus); Skull and casque of Rhinoceros Hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros); Casque of a young Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil), which traders would not buy because it only weighed 40 grams, and the minimum is 70 grams. This young bird’s casque is too thin to carve.

Dayak style carving, with tag showing confescation at San Francisco. Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) materials held at the National Fish & Wildlife Forensic Center in Ashland, Oregon.

Chinese style carvings. Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) materials held at the National Fish & Wildlife Forensic Center in Ashland, Oregon.

A vendor shows a beak of a Helmeted Hornbill adorned with Tibetan silver. Likely a real antique piece. Antiques market in Cang Bao Lou building, near Shanghai’s Chenghuang Temple Area. These vendors are selling wholesale to chinese customers who will sell them in other shops. Mix of real and fake antiques are sold. Shanghai China

A carved casque and beak of a Helmeted Hornbill displayed for sale in a case in a shop in Shanghai, China. The carving appears to be a budda.