Avian Naturescapes

Racial Variation of the Asian Black Hornbill

Thursday, 16, June 2011

The Asian Black Hornbill (Anthracoceros malayanus) is a medium-sized hornbill found primarily in lowland and swampland forests of Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. The conservation status of this species is listed as being Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List Of Threatened Species.

There exists 2 distinct races of this bird in Sabah and they are easily differentiated by a white band on the supercilium on only the male birds. A minority number of male birds have this white stripe across the eye while most other males of this species are all black (with the exception of the casque which is light cream)

Bird, Nature & Wildlife Photography by Choo Tse Chien

The close up side by side comparison above clearly shows the this racial variation between the males of the Black Hornbill

Asian Black Hornbill - the specimen above has a broad and distinct white supercilium band that extends all the way from the eye to down the neck.

Photographed on the Kinabatangan River, Sabah, North Borneo

The specimen above which was also photographed in Sabah but in Sepilok lacks the white band on the supercilium and this is the case for the majority of males in this species.