Tarictic Hornbill
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| Tarictic Hornbill Conservation status: Endangered | ||||||||||||||
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| Missing image Philippine_tarictic_hornbill_callanbentley011.jpg Tarictic hornbill Tarictic Hornbill photographed in Panay, Philippines. Photo courtesy of Callan Bentley (mailto:callanbentley@hotmail.com). | ||||||||||||||
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| Penelopides panini Boddaert, 1783 |
The Tarictic Hornbill (Penelopides panini) is a hornbill found in the rainforests in the islands of Panay, Negros, Masbate and Guimaras, Philippines. This bird is distinguished by its bill with a hollow horny "casque" on top of it. This "horn" is mainly made of keratin.
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Related species
The status of the hornbills in this genus is a matter of debate. There are a number of forms previously considered as races of one species which The Handbook of the Birds of the World now separates as individual species.
- P. affinis = found in Maitum and in the islands of Mindanao & Dinagat, Philippines
- P. mindorensis = found in the island of Mindoro, Philippines
- P. manillae = found in the island of Luzon & Marinduque, Philippines
- P. subnigra = found in Pollilo, Philippines
- P. ticaensis = found in Ticao, Philippines
- P. samarensis = found in the islands of Samar, Bohol, and Leyte, Philippines
- P. basilanica = found in Basilan, Philippines
- P. exarhatus = found in Sulawesi
Measurements
- total length = 650 mm.
- wing = 245 - 260 mm.
- tail = 234 - 245 mm.
- horn base to bill tip = 95 - 108 mm.
- tarsus = 46 - 47 mm.
Philippine_tarictic_hornbill_noahjackson01.jpg
Photo courtesy of [mailto:noah.jackson@umontana.edu" class='external' rel="nofollow">mailto:noah.jackson@umontana.edu Noah Jackson
Habitat
Tarictic Hornbills live in groups and frequent the canopy of rainforests. These birds are noisy and emit an incessant sound that sounds like ta-rik-tik, hence the name. Despite their noise they are difficult to find, being well camouflaged by the dense foliage.
Diet
The principal food of Tarictic Hornbill is fruit. It also eats insects, beetles, ants and earthworms (rarely).
Status
This is a highly endangered species. Only 600 pairs are left in the world. There has been a heavy decline in population due to hunting and loss of habitat caused by deforestation.