MEET THE ZOO: Bar-Pouched Wreathed Hornbills

One of the most spectacular birds in the animal collection of the Prospect Park Zoo is the Bar-pouched Wreathed Hornbills. They are so unusual; most people literally stop in their tracks to gaze at the huge, beautiful birds.

Named “bucerotidae” from the Greek word for “cow horn,” the hornbill’s distinctive horn-shaped beak varies in size among its many species, which are found throughout Africa and Asia. Some species feature an enlargement — called a casque — on the upper mandible (top part of the beak). The hornbill has a unique adaptation that helps them carry its super-sized bill — it is the only bird with the first two neck vertebrae naturally fused together.

The Wreathed Hornbills get their name from the deep ridges at the base of their bill. The Bar-pouched Wreathed Hornbills at the Prospect Park Zoo are also named because of the bright colored pouches on the neck. These pouches have a black bar marking across them. The male birds sport a bright yellow pouch while the females’ are light green. 

Native to the forests of northeast India and Southeast Asia, and the Malay Archipelago, Bar-pouched Wreathed Hornbills are not endangered but their habitat is at risk. Throughout the Hornbill’s range, Wildlife Conservation Society works to protect Asia’s incredible diversity of wildlife and wild places.

Prospect Park Zoo’s pair of hornbills came to the zoo last fall. Keepers are hopeful that the pair will breed and are preparing for the next breeding season. Meanwhile, the birds seem to be cooperating by exhibiting some interesting behaviors. The male will hold out a grape to the female, tempting her to come closer. Just as she gets close enough to grab the grape from his beak, he flips his head back and swallows it. 

The pair is beautiful and fun to watch. Next time you’re heading towards the barn area, be sure to take some time to observe this truly amazing bird.