Oriental Pied Hornbill chick fledges

GaoJian LiuJia succeeded in capturing the magic moment with his series of images of an Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) chick fledging. This happened at 5.21 pm on 3rd February 2017 at the Singapore Botanical Gardens.

It was fortunate that GaoJian had his 300mm F2.8 lens ready, managing the maximium f-stop and speed. Otherwise we would not be able to share this rare and exciting moment.

The first flight is not always successful. In many instances the fledgling will land on a branch of a nearby tree or even on the ground. This happened in Changi Village a few years ago LINK. Someone then caught the fallen fledgling by the neck for a selfie.

The chicks need to be persuaded to get out of the nesting cavity. The adults normally persuade the chicks to fly out of the nest by not feeding them. They may also lure them out by dangling food outside the nest.

GaoJian LiuJia
Singapore
3rd February 2017.

This post is a cooperative effort between Birds, Insects N Creatures Of Asia and BESG to bring the study of birds and their behavior through photography and videography to a wider audience.