Rufous-necked Hornbill
Aceros nipalensis
The Rufous-necked Hornbill (Aceros nipalensis) is a rare hornbill found in 6 countries, weighing about 2.4 kg. The rufous-necked hornbill is a species of hornbill in Bhutan, northeastern India, especially in Arunachal Pradesh, Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
About the Rufous-necked Hornbill
The rufous-necked hornbill is a species of hornbill in Bhutan, northeastern India, especially in Arunachal Pradesh, Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is locally extinct in Nepal due to hunting and significant loss of habitat. There are less than 10,000 adults left in the wild. With a length of about 117 cm (46 in), it is among the largest Bucerotine hornbills. The underparts, neck and head are pigmented as a rich rufous in the male, but black in the female.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The head, neck, and lower body of the male are coloured rufous, with deeper colouration on the flanks and abdomen. The middle primaries and the lower half of the tail are tipped white. The rest of the hornbill's plumage is a glossy dark-green and black. The lower tail-covert feathers are coloured chestnut mixed with black. The female is black, except for the end-portion of her tail and the tips of the middle primaries, which are white. Juvenile hornbills resemble adults of the same sex, but lack the ridges at the base of the upper beak.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in China.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, November, December, with peak activity in April. It is a passage migrant species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Rufous-necked Hornbill?
- The head, neck, and lower body of the male are coloured rufous, with deeper colouration on the flanks and abdomen. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Rufous-necked Hornbill?
- The Rufous-necked Hornbill is a huge sized bird weighing about 2.4 kg.
- Where can you see a Rufous-necked Hornbill?
- The Rufous-necked Hornbill occurs in 6 countries, including India, Bhutan, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and Laos.
- What birds look similar to a Rufous-necked Hornbill?
- The Rufous-necked Hornbill is most easily confused with the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, the Monteiro's Hornbill and the Piping Hornbill.
- Is the Rufous-necked Hornbill endangered?
- The Rufous-necked Hornbill is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Rufous-necked Hornbill for real
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