“On a calm October morning, along a beach in Langkawi, I was admiring a pair of Great Hornbills (Buceros bicornis) having figs for breakfast (below). When they had their fill, they flew off from the fig tree and swooped round the bay to perch on a tall tree that basked in the light and warmth of the rising sun.
“As one hornbill preened its feathers, the other began to call, issuing a steady series of deep ‘gok’ notes. While the head of the calling individual was somewhat obscured by leaves, the tossing of its beak could still be noticed as it corresponded with each call.
A representative clip of this behaviour may be previewed here:
Dr. Leong Tzi Ming
Singapore
23rd October 2012
