In the Bosom of BIZARRE BORNEO

On the fringes of the nearby forests, the whining of cicadas was deafening. My clothes were sticky and heavy with heat and sweat. I noticed my right hand was a little swollen from mosquito bites. I was panting, absolutely drained out from heat exhaustion. The big grin on my face when we started birding this morning was no longer there. The moment we started, it was obvious we had ventured off the beaten path. The trail was narrow, steep, slippery and at times barely recognizable as a path. The very steep incline, combined with the heat and humidity, made it difficult to negotiate. But alas, there were whooshing sounds emanating from above amidst the tree crowns. A pair of magnificent hornbills were flying past. A fascination indeed to actually hear these huge birds from at least 70 m above above ground. But nothing is more intriguing than the breeding behaviour of Bornean hornbills. The male hornbill imprisons his female partner out of love and care for his offspring. Strange but true but a male hornbill remains true to his partner for life. But he would imprison his partner for months for her to lay eggs and care for their chicks in seclusion and darkness. The pair spends months planning and building an almost predator-proof nest to raise their chicks. First, they perform a courtship ritual that includes preening, feeding, exhibiting the wing and tail, and even beating their bills on the ground. They will then spend several days choosing just the right tree hollow way up high on the trunk. For comfort, they line the hollow with leaves, grass, and feathers. Next, the male finds some mud and takes them back in the form of small mud pellets which he passes through the hole to the female. The female pats the mud on to the sides of the hole, gradually walling herself in until only a narrow slit is left. Neither of them can go through this small hole. This makes it impossible for the female to come out but remain in the hollow nest. It is only when all that is out of the way, the female will lay her two eggs. Here, sealed up in the hollow of a tree, she remains for up to four months to raise her chicks. Throughout this period, the father bird will adequately feed the imprisoned mother. He would pass food for the mother through a narrow slit in the mud wall of the nest. It has been estimated that during the breeding season the male could make as many as 1600 trips to the nest, delivering an average of 15 fruits each time. He regurgitates and provides food throughout the incubation process without fail. He may bring in as many as 24,000 fruits during this crucial nesting period. The chicks and their mother continue to receive food from the male for a further 60 days until they are ready to leave the nest. Finally the female breaks the mud wall with her huge bill, and she and her young will leave together. Five of the 8 hornbill species are now listed as "Near Threatened" on the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species. They are seen much less frequently on the forest trails today. Their dependence on huge tall trees for homes and breeding is the primary reason for their vulnerability to population decline. In the past five decades, the logging industry in Borneo had substantially reduced the number of huge tall trees. Hornbills need these trees to build their nests. Their breeding has been hampered and populations have declined despite the fact they are long-lived birds. They often persist in logged-over forests for many years. But they do not breed if there are no suitable cavities found only in huge tall trees. The problem is made worse by hornbills’ naturally low population density in the rainforests which could eventually drive their slow breeding rate to naught.