Seah Kok Meng‘s image of the Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) shows the bird, having stunned the Praying Mantis (Order: Mantodea), if not already killed it, about to swallow the insect head first.
Oriental Pied Hornbill takes plant as well as animal foods LINK. Animal foods include birds’ eggs and nestlings, crabs, lizards, bats, spiders and various insects like bees and insect caterpillars and pupae.
Seah Kok Meng
Singapore
8th July 2018
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Any views and opinions expressed in the articles are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.
3 responses
I wish to see and photography the hornbill in its natural habitat instead of the zoo. I heard they can be found on Pulau Ubin, are you able to direct me to the exact area where I have a good chance to see them please?
You don’t have to go to Pulau Ubin to see Hornbills. Some are to be found along the Rail Corridor, in the area around the Bukit Timah Station. You can also see them along Rifle Range Road, in Bukit Batok Nature Park, the Seletar area around the Farmways and the Aerospace Park, among the old British bungalows at Changi, and of course in the vicinity of the Istana, especially on the Cavanagh Road side.
First familiarise yourself with the area where you hope to observe the Hornbills. Then, look for and take note of large trees that bear fruits, even those that are not edible to human beings, such as Ficus benjamina or microcarpa. Then come back during the season when the trees are fruiting. And wait, and wait, and wait for the Hornbills to show up. It can be a long wait as their arrivals are not predictable. The wild Hornbills that I have photographed in Singapore (some of the pictures are on this Website) just happened to be where I was when carrying a camera.
http://theindependent.sg/hornbills-catch-and-tear-apart-pet-bird-from-birdcage-outside-hdb-flat-in-viral-video/
On this website we have discussed what might happen when Hornbills become numerous in Singapore. Follow the link to see what could be one possible outcome.