Wreathed hornbill – Rhyticeros undulatus

The wreathed hornbill, also called the bar-pouched wreathed hornbill, is a species of hornbill found in forests from far north-eastern India and Bhutan, east and south through mainland Southeast Asia and the Greater Sundas, except Sulawesi.

In the adult male, the cap and nape are red. The front and the back of the neck are white to cream color. The plumage of the body is black, contrasting with the long white tail feathers of the tail. The beak is topped by a helmet that is marked by a series of 9 à 11 notches near the base. Legs and feet are dark olive-gray.

The female resembles the male, but it is smaller. Its head and neck are entirely black. The orbital skin has a color flesh. The bare skin of the throat is light blue with a blue-black line interrupted in the middle. The irises are dark brown with a small yellow spot. Juveniles are similar to adults in relation to both sexes, but at home the headset is absent, it can be confused with the Plain-pouched hornbill.

They frequent the vast expanses of primary forests and mangrove forests. The wings of the two hornbills seem to overlap, particularly in eastern India, Bhutan, Myanmar and possibly also in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Bali and Borneo. Its nomadism and constant movements in search of food makes it difficult to calculate or estimate its density.