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The long central tail feathers, once a primary necessity for cultural events has since been replaced with artificial feathers to conserve the species population.

A female Helmeted hornbill with a bounty of figs returning to her nest to provide for her young. Ethical conservation photography The photographer has spent over two decades documenting hornbills and other Malaysian wildlife. These images were captured while assisting scientific research, data collection and are used for educational programmes. The wellbeing of wildlife and their natural environment was the primary consideration before any expedition. Baiting of any sort, overcrowding and alterations to the landscape were not practised. Conservation photography aims to document wildlife and their natural behaviours by first respecting them and their environment, while patiently waiting for nature’s magic to unveil itself.

A Rhinoceros hornbill fledgling, emerging from an artificial nest installed by the team in collaboration with local governments and communities.

A male Rhinoceros hornbill returns to an artificial nest to regurgitate fruits and feed his female and chick. This pair represents the world’s first successful breeding of Rhinoceros hornbills in an artificial structure, a pioneering achievement by HUTAN-KOCP in 2013. Malaysian Hornbill Conservation Gaia, in collaboration with HUTAN-KOCP, Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Forestry Department, Sabah Biodiversity Centre (SaBC), together with various international partners, has been at the forefront of hornbill conservation in Borneo for nearly a decade.  Their activities include natural nest restoration, nest box installations, hornbill monitoring, tree planting and awareness programmes, all while partnering with local governments and communities. To learn more and discover how you can support our national icon, visit xploregaia.com and malaysiahornbill.com.

A flock of Plain-pouched hornbills in the rainforest. Plain-pouched Hornbill (Rhyticeros subruficollis) Similar to the Wreathed hornbill, the Plain-pouched hornbill lacks ridges on its beak and does not have a black bar across its pouch. This species migrates from Thailand to feed in the forests of northern Peninsular Malaysia. Often seen in large flocks, they have been recorded in the thousands at one time.

Hornbills are fig specialists with excellent eyesight, enabling them to precisely pick and toss fruits with the tip of their beak.

A female Great hornbill perched at a vantage point to take in the view while looking around for the next fruiting tree. Great hornbill (Buceros bicornis) One of the larger hornbill species in Peninsular Malaysia, this bird is predominantly frugivorous and inhabits both primary and secondary forests. Its most striking feature is the bright yellow casque atop its massive beak. Viewed from the front, the casque has a distinct U-shape with a concave top and two ridges along the sides that form pointed ends at the front.