The Mindoro hornbill is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is endemic to forests on Mindoro in the Philippines found in tropical moist lowland forests. As is the case with all five Philippine tarictic hornbills, formerly considered to be just one species. It is the only tarictic hornbill where both sexes are creamy-white and black. The sexes are very similar, differing primarily in the colour of the ocular ring. It is threatened by habitat loss, and is consequently considered endangered by the IUCN.
Region
Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs only on Mindoro Island in the central Philippines, chiefly in remaining tracts of lowland and foothill evergreen forest. It favors mature primary forest but will use secondary growth, riverine strips, and edges when large fruiting trees are present. Nesting requires large, old trees with suitable cavities, making it sensitive to logging. It can persist in fragmented habitats if fruit resources and nest sites remain, but densities are low.
Altitude Range
0–1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This hornbill is confined to Mindoro in the Philippines and is the only tarictic hornbill in which both sexes are largely creamy-white and black, differing mainly in the color of the bare eye-ring. Like other hornbills, the female seals herself inside a tree cavity during nesting, leaving only a narrow slit through which the male passes food. Rapid deforestation and hunting have caused major declines, and it is protected by law.
A male observed in Sablayan
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
strong flier with deep wingbeats and short glides
Social Behavior
Usually encountered in pairs or small family groups moving through the mid- to upper canopy. Breeds in tree cavities; the female seals the entrance with mud and fecal material, leaving a slit for food delivery. The male provisions the female and chicks throughout the nesting period.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are loud and nasal, including honks, cackles, and grating calls that carry through the forest. Wingbeats can produce a distinct whooshing sound in flight.
