Blyth's Hornbill, Welcome to a New Life
On April 7, 2022, keepers at the Phoenix Pavilion found an egg from a Blyth's hornbill. It's a day worth celebrating! These hornbills, classified as a rare and valuable species in Taiwan, have made this place their home to reproduce. Ever since the hornbill mom, Xiaobai, refused to leave her nest, the keepers suspected she might be preparing to lay eggs. And the hornbill dad, A'Kim, started taking on the role of delivering food to mom. Both were ready to welcome the arrival of new life.
The Interactive Trust-Building Journey
On April 26, the little hornbill successfully hatched, and the park named it BaiKim, taking the last letters of its mom's name for easy identification of their relationship. However, as the hornbill dad, A'Kim, being elderly, passed away through natural causes a few days after BaiKim was born, the keepers had to take on his role. Initially, according to hornbill behavior, the keepers would first feed Xiaobai, and she would in turn, pass on the food to the baby bird. However, due to her protective instincts as a mom, coupled with her eagerness to protect her baby, it became challenging for the keepers to deliver food into the nest, as she sealed the nest entrance tighter with dry wood, droppings, and food. After a few days, Xiaobai started to realize that A'Kim, the hornbill dad, could no longer feed her and her baby. She needed to supplement her diet to have enough energy to feed BaiKim. She also discovered that the food provided by the keepers was safe and they wouldn't take away her baby. Through patient efforts of the keepers, a mutually trusting relationship was established. Finally, Xiaobai let her guard down and even allowed the keepers to feed BaiKim directly.
After working hard for more than a month, by May 23, although BaiKim's eyes couldn't open yet, the baby bird had doubled in size. When the little hornbill reached a stable age of 35 days, the vet conducted a health check, for which BaiKim weighed 888 grams. The vet then examined further like the body temperature, wings, toes, and beak, confirming that BaiKim was a healthy hornbill baby. The keepers responsible for its daily care were able to heave a sigh of relief. By June 13, BaiKim had reached 28 cm in length, but because it hadn't reached sexual maturity yet, its sex could not be determined by the color of its head feathers. Finally, on July 11, the little hornbill flew out of the nest box on its own. Taking into account the nurturing period, it had been 120 days since its mom first started building the nest. Although it was mostly fed by its mom mouth-to-mouth for the first four months after its birth, BaiKim had started learning to fly and forage. Currently, it's already meeting visitors in the Phoenix Pavilion exhibition area!
Conservation Awareness
The Blyth's hornbill is primarily found in the Indo-China Peninsula and Pacific islands. It is a crucial part of the tropical rainforest ecosystem. While it is currently listed as a least-concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), its natural habitats are still under severe threat from destruction and human hunting. In Taiwan, it is classified as a rare and valuable species to be protected, and generally, private ownership is prohibited to prevent the birds from disrupting the island's native ecology. Compared to other hornbill species, the Blyth's hornbill is less sought after by collectors, and therefore has been fortunately spared from excessive hunting. However, establishing conservation areas and reforestation efforts remain crucial for ensuring their stable habitats and conservation.
The successful breeding experience in this case has filled the keepers with hope. If you ever visit Wanpi World, don't forget to say hi to Xiaobai and BaiKim, the mother and child hornbill pair! We wish BaiKim a healthy and happy childhood in the zoo.