Face On
A male, face on, with his yellow throat pouch.
Angkor, Siem Reap
Wreathed Hornbill
- Species
- Wreathed Hornbill
- Rhyticeros undulatus
- IUCN status
- Vulnerable
- Location
- Angkor, Siem Reap
- Observed
- 20 July 2025
A large forest hornbill, black with a pale head and neck. The male has a chestnut crest and a yellow pouch on his throat; the female's pouch is blue. The ridges on the casque above the bill, the wreath, give the bird its name.
Wreathed hornbills live mostly on fruit, figs above all, and carry the seeds far through the forest. To breed, the female seals herself into a hollow tree with mud, leaving only a narrow slit, and the male feeds her and the chicks through it.
Hunting and the felling of the big old trees they nest in have made them rare, and they are listed as Vulnerable. Wildlife Alliance began releasing wreathed hornbills into the Angkor forest in 2021, so this male is probably one of them. For rewilded animals the location stays general.
The Wreath
The ridged casque that gives the bird its name.
Angkor, Siem Reap
Open Bill
Head back, bill open.
Angkor, Siem Reap
See also
Sources
Wreathed hornbill (Wikipedia). Rewilding Angkor: hornbills and green peafowl make a comeback (Wildlife Alliance).
