Anthracoceros marchei
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The Palawan hornbill (''Anthracoceros marchei'') is a large forest bird endemic to the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
. It is one of the 11 endemic hornbills in the country. It is only found in
Palawan Palawan (), officially the Province of Palawan ( cyo, Probinsya i'ang Palawan; tl, Lalawigan ng Palawan), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in t ...
and nearby islands of
Balabac Balabac Island is the southernmost island of the Palawan province, and therefore the westernmost undisputed island in the Philippines, only about north from Sabah, Malaysia, across the Balabac Strait. Administratively, the island forms the main ...
, Busuanga, Calauit, Culion and Coron. It is locally known as 'talusi' in the
language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of ...
Cuyunon, It is threatened by
habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
,
hunting Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...
and trapping for the
cage-bird trade Wildlife trade refers to the of products that are derived from non-domesticated animals or plants usually extracted from their natural environment or raised under controlled conditions. It can involve the trade of living or dead individuals, ti ...
.


Description and Behavior

It's described as large bird (approximately long, weighing , more than 92% of bird species) of lowland and foothill forest on Palawan and neighbouring islands. Its plumage is entirely black except for a white tail and a long, thick, pale cream-colored bill and
casque Casque is a French word for helmet. It can refer to: * Casque (anatomy), an enlargement on the beaks of some species of birds, including many hornbills *Hornbill ivory, the casque of the helmeted hornbill, collected as a decorative material * S. C ...
. Whitish bare skin around the eyes and across the throat is tinged blue. Female has a smaller bill and casque. Unmistakable. The only hornbill in its range. Voice is a raucous cackling which can be transcribed as ''kaaww'' and ''kreik-kreik''." They exhibit
sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most an ...
in which males have more prominent casques and bills and an overall larger size than females. Among the Philippine hornbills, it is most closely related to the
Sulu hornbill The Sulu hornbill (''Anthracoceros montani''), or Montano's hornbill, is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is endemic to the Sulu archipelago in the Philippines, with the remaining populations in Tawi-Tawi with it believed to ...
but is differentiated by its white bill and face versus the
Sulu hornbill The Sulu hornbill (''Anthracoceros montani''), or Montano's hornbill, is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is endemic to the Sulu archipelago in the Philippines, with the remaining populations in Tawi-Tawi with it believed to ...
's jet black features. The Palawan hornbill consumes mostly fruit, but also occasional insects and vertebrates. Due to its large size and home range, it is an important vector of seed dispersal for large-seeded trees. Many ground-dwelling seed-eating mammals live beneath such trees, and in areas where hornbills have become rare, consume such a large percentage of the fallen seeds that they threaten the trees' survival. It is usually seen in pairs or small noisy family groups, and it has a
communal roosting Communal roosting is an animal behavior where a group of individuals, typically of the same species, congregate in an area for a few hours based on an external signal and will return to the same site with the reappearance of the signal. Environment ...
site. It is most usually observed in fruiting trees at the forest edge, but also feeds on insects and small reptiles.


Habitat and Conservation Status

It inhabits primary and secondary
dipterocarp forest Dipterocarpaceae is a family of 16 genera and about 695 known species of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees. The family name, from the type genus ''Dipterocarpus'', is derived from Greek (''di'' = two, ''pteron'' = wing and ''karpos'' = fr ...
, mangrove swamps and
forest edge A woodland edge or forest edge is the transition zone (ecotone) from an area of woodland or forest to fields or other open spaces. Certain species of plants and animals are adapted to the forest edge, and these species are often more familiar to hu ...
up to 900 meters above sea level. It has also occasionally been recorded visiting farmland and cultivations. It requires large trees for nesting. While they can tolerate secondary forest, they have the highest population densities and health in primary (old-growth) forest It is officially classified as vulnerable with the population estimated at 2,500 to 9,999 mature individuals remaining with its numbers have reduced by at least 20% in the last 10 years due to
habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
, hunting for food, and the live bird trade. It is threatened by habitat destruction through logging. conversion into agricultural land or urban development an
mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...
. Most visiting birdwatchers travel to St Paul's National Park, Palawan, to see this bird, but it is now uncommon. It acts as a bio-indicator due to its sensitivity to environmental changes. The species is present in conservation areas - the entirety of Palawan has been designated a biosphere reserve but actual protection and enforcement against logging and hunting has been difficult. There are populations in several other protected areas such as
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is a protected area in the Philippines. The park is located in the Saint Paul Mountain Range on the western coast of the island of Palawan, about north of the city of Puerto Princesa, and c ...
, El Nido Marine Reserve and others. It is listed in
CITES CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...
as Appendix II. Conservation actions proposed include surveys in remaining lowland forests throughout its range. Seek greater control of the cage-bird trade and assess its impacts. Research its ecological requirements and conduct nest protection schemes. Support the proposed extension of
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is a protected area in the Philippines. The park is located in the Saint Paul Mountain Range on the western coast of the island of Palawan, about north of the city of Puerto Princesa, and c ...
and formally protect the forests at
Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines is one of seven operating units of the Bureau of Corrections under the Department of Justice. History American territorial period The Spanish regime had earlier ...
. Carry out awareness campaigns regarding the protected status of the species. Allocate greater resources towards more effective control of hunting in Palawan forests and initiate conservation awareness campaigns amongst forest product collectors.


References


External links


BirdLife Species Factsheet

Red Data Book


{{Taxonbar, from=Q1193501 Anthracoceros Birds of Palawan Endemic birds of the Philippines Birds described in 1885