Sumba Hornbill Rhyticeros everetti Scientific name definitions

55 cm. Small, black hornbill, long all-black tail distinctive. Male head and neck dark rufous, darker on crown and nape; bill pale yellow, red near base; low wreathed casque yellowish and brown; bare skin around eye blue; throat skin dark blue, darker central patch; eyelids pink. Female smaller, head and neck black. Juvenile resembles adult male, but bill small, no casque.

Sumba (W Lesser Sunda Is).

Patches of primary deciduous forest, but extends into secondary forest and open parkland with fruiting trees; occurs at up to 950m.

Irregular local movements between feeding and roosting sites; up to 70 birds may gather at roost.

Only fruit recorded in diet, especially figs, but probably takes some small animals. Usually in pairs, but up to 15 may gather at fruiting trees . Flies long distances over forest and grassland to reach food.

A fast series of nasal barks “kokokokok....” at a rate of c. 8–10 notes per second.

Little known. Copulation observed in Sept, probably lays in Oct–Nov. Nest in natural cavity 10–23 m up in large live deciduous tree, especially Tetrameles, mostly where a branch has fallen off; once in folds of a strangler fig; nest entrance 18–24 cm deep, 12–40 cm wide; often 1 or 2 parrot nests in other cavities in same tree. No other information.

VULNERABLE. CITES II. Restricted to single island, on which forest habitat suitable for hornbills has declined by 60%, to c. 1732 km² (c. 10% of island’s surface area), since 1927. Habitat thus patchy, and of irregular size and distribution; species recorded from 18 out of 33 patches, mostly those over 1000 ha in area. Recent total population estimates of 4000 (maximum 6500) birds, although breeding population may be significantly lower, as a result of general fragmentation of habitat and also delayed maturity of birds before reaching breeding condition. Still locally common in primary forest with tall canopy, large trees and low levels of disturbance, especially in Manupeu-Langgaliru National Park in W Sumba, and occurs also in Laiwangi-Wanggameti National Park in E; these reserves both newly designated, and total 135,000 ha of forest. Scattered large fig trees seem especially important as food, but these and forest margins continually affected by grassland fires, set to improve grazing. Preference for nesting in larger Tetrameles trees also restrictive. Still trapped and hunted for food and wild-bird trade to a small degree, and shows low tolerance to human disturbance within forest.