The bird that’s more valuable than ivory

There’s a type of “ivory” that’s even more valuable than elephant. It comes from the helmeted hornbill – a bird that lives in the rain forests of East Asia.

It wouldn’t be wise to go head to head with a helmeted hornbill. They weigh 3kg and have their own built-in battering ram – a solid lump of keratin (a fibrous protein) extends along the top of the bill and on to the skull. This “casque” can account for as much as 11% of a bird’s weight.

In all other species of hornbill – there are more than 60 in Africa and Asia – the casque is hollow, but the helmeted hornbill’s is solid. The males use it in head-to-head combat and both sexes use it as a weighted tool to dig out insects from rotting trees.

Helmeted hornbills live in islands. They tend to eat fruit and nuts.

They have a wingspan of up to 2m (6ft 6in), striking white and black feathers and a large patch of bare skin around the throat.

Source: BBC

N.KH