When wrinkled hornbills aren’t searching for food, they are usually sunbathing or cleaning their bills. Hornbills will rub their bills and casques against tree branches to scratch off extra dirt and prevent disease.
Hold your head up
Wrinkled hornbill’s bills are so heavy that the first two vertebrae of their necks have fused together to hold up their heads. The bill is connected to the skull and weighs down their heads. Wrinkled hornbills got their name from their yellow and red “wrinkled” casques, the ridges on top of their bills. Casques act like a magaphone, making the hornbills’ voices louder.
Mom, chicks, and the nest
Wrinkled hornbills mate for life and have a 111 to 124 days nesting plan unique to the hornbills. Before a female lays her two to three eggs, she finds a hole in a tree and seals herself inside. The sealing is composed of droppings, mud, and food pieces, only leaving a small hole. The male uses this hole to regurgitate food to the female while she watches over the hatchlings. If the female fails to lay fertile eggs, she will break out of her nest and try again. clutch fails, the birds will re-nest and try again. Unlike other hornbill species, the female will wait until the chicks have all of their feathers until she breaks out with her chicks. Normally, only the oldest chick survives while the others starve because they can’t compete for food.
Not thirsty
Wrinkled hornbills never drink water! All of the water they get comes from their food. A pair or group up to 30 hornbills will forage for fruit and other plant material to eat and use the water from.
Keep it clean