The plain-pouched hornbill is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is found in forests of the Dawna Range and the Tenasserim Hills of southern Myanmar, adjacent parts of western Thailand and northern Peninsular Malaysia.
Region
Mainland Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests from southern Myanmar through adjacent western Thailand to northern Peninsular Malaysia. It favors extensive, intact lowland and hill forests with abundant large fruiting trees, especially figs. Birds commute long distances between feeding sites and communal roosts, and large post-breeding flocks are sometimes observed crossing ridgelines. It rarely enters heavily degraded habitat and depends on old-growth trees for nesting.
Altitude Range
0–1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A medium-large hornbill of the Tenasserim–Malay Peninsula forests, it is often seen in sizable flocks moving between fruiting trees. The species is a key long-distance seed disperser, especially for figs, helping maintain forest dynamics. Females seal themselves inside large tree cavities during nesting, leaving only a slit through which the male passes food. It is most easily told from the similar Wreathed Hornbill by the male’s plain, unmarked throat pouch.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
strong flier with deep wingbeats and gliding
Social Behavior
Typically seen in pairs during the breeding season and in loose to large flocks when not breeding. Nests in large natural cavities of mature trees; the female seals herself inside with a wall of mud and feces, leaving a narrow slit. The male provisions the female and chick until the female breaks out late in the nesting cycle.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Vocalizations include loud, nasal honks and cackles that carry over long distances. Wingbeats produce a distinctive whooshing sound in flight, often heard before the bird is seen.
Plumage
Mostly glossy black with a contrasting white tail that shows a black subterminal band; neck and underparts show paler tones in the male. Feathers are sleek and unspotted, with a prominent casque on the long bill.
Diet
Primarily consumes fruits, especially figs (Ficus), but also takes other drupes and berries. Supplements its diet with insects, small reptiles, and occasionally small mammals, particularly when feeding young. By swallowing fruits whole and defecating seeds far from the parent tree, it plays a critical role in seed dispersal.
Preferred Environment
Feeds high in the canopy of mature evergreen and mixed forests, often moving along ridgelines between fruiting trees. Will visit isolated large fruiting trees and communal roost areas near forest edges but avoids heavily disturbed interiors.
