Family Hornbills (Bucerotidae)
Endangered
Narcondam Hornbill (Rhyticeros narcondami)
Taxonomy
French: Calao de Narcondam German: Narcondamhornvogel Spanish: Cálao de la Narcondam
Other common names:
Narcondam Wreathed Hornbill
Taxonomy:
Rhyticeros narcondami
A. O. Hume
, 1873,Narcondam, Andaman Islands
.Distribution:
Narcondam (NE Andaman Is).
Descriptive notes
45–50 cm; male 700–750 g, female 600–750 g. Small, black hornbill with short white tail; appearance is of a miniature version of R. plicatus. Male... read more
Voice
A series of loud, harsh cackles “ka-ka-ka-ka..”.
Habitat
Occupies relatively open, mixed evergreen and deciduous forest, and dense bush; occurs from... read more
Food and feeding
Mainly fruit, of at least 9 species, with principal component figs; no animal food recorded. Congregates at fruiting trees in groups of up... read more
Breeding
Lays in Feb–Apr. Breeds in pairs; active nests sometimes only 23 m apart. Nest in natural cavity 2·4–15·2 m up in... read more
Movements
Sedentary.
Status and conservation
ENDANGERED. CITES II. Restricted-range species: present in Andaman Islands EBA. Total range only 6820 ha, not all of which is prime habitat. Population always small,... read more
In the past often considered conspecific with R. plicatus, but geographical isolation, together with notable difference in size and lesser (supposed) differences in bill colour, have been used to support their treatment as two separate species. This treatment accepted here pending more detailed information on behaviour and ecology of the taxa, but in reality geographical isolation, while normally part of the process of speciation, is not in itself a taxonomic character, and bill-colour differences (according to photographs) appear not to exist, so only size clearly distinguishes narcondami from plicatus, and in some respects the notion of the two forms being conspecific represents a more intriguing biogeographical circumstance than one of their mere relatedness. Monotypic.