On the evening of 4th February 2015 I sighted a pair of Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) perching on the television antenna of my neighbour’s house. The pair remained quietly for a few minutes before flying off to land on the crown of my Ceram Palm (Rhopaloblaste ceramica).
The pair landed on the back of a frond axis. The male hornbill had a morsel clamped between the tips of his mandibles that could possibly be a lizard. He waved it in front of the female and lowered his large bill as if to offer it to her. She responded by lowering her bill as if to accept the courtship gift.
However, the male lowered his bill in front of the frond while the female lowered hers behind. This prevented the morsel being passed on to her.
Subsequently he kept waving the morsel in front of her. She was eager to have it but for some reasons he refused to hand it over. He then flew off followed by her.
Wonder whether he finally offered the morsel to her at their next stop?
YC Wee
Singapore
February 2015
