Plight of the Helmeted Hornbill
The helmeted hornbill is certainly not the most glamorous of birds, but no one could deny its uniqueness. At around six pounds, this large, cackling, black and brown bird hides in the old-growth forests of Malaysia, Brunei, Myanmar, Indonesia, and southern Thailand. With wrinkled bare skin on its neck, similar to a turkey’s wattle, and a large yellow bill and red casque stretching back over its head — very much like a protective helmet — it probably doesn’t win many bird beauty pageants.
This conspicuous hornbill doesn’t just spend its time banging heads with neighbors over who has the largest, toughest casque — though it does so quite literally in enthusiastic aerial combat displays. The bird also busies itself performing a valuable environmental service in Asia — seed dispersal. Some of the seeds which it carries are distributed exclusively by hornbill, and the helmeted hornbill is thought to be the most effective bird in its habitat at its task. Unfortunately, however, this important species is quickly disappearing, and, all too soon, the only evidence left of this great bird may be its black-market remains.
So why, then, is this bird, devoid of glamorous plumage, at risk for poaching? The answer lies in the bird’s very name. Poachers hunt for its prized “hornbill,” or casque, known as “red ivory.” This ivory is then carved and sold as trinkets — mostly to China — and can net around $1,000 USD per casque. In 2013, around 500 helmeted hornbills were estimated to be poached each month in Kalimantan alone, and that number has only increased.
The helmeted hornbill, formerly threatened, is now critically endangered — elevated in status in 2015 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. In addition to poaching, deforestation has caused a major loss of habitat. And, while protected by law, desperate locals, starved of opportunities, still hunt and kill for the prized casques. A solution that has seen some success is the conversion of would-poachers to tour guides for bird watchers.
One organization combating extinction by providing education and opportunities for indigenous people is Rangkong Indonesia. In April 2020, founder and Whitely award winner Yokyok “Yoki” Hadiprakarsa, who has been tirelessly working to protect all hornbill species in Indonesia for over 20 years, announced his new plans to combat the helmeted hornbill decline. Yokyok is launching the Hornbill Guardian Project, which will “promote mutual benefit between hornbills and community.”
“With this support,” he says, “I can continue to save the majestic helmeted hornbills in Indonesia — not only for the bird — but also for Indonesian people’s futures.”
In another message of optimism, there are those who believe that there is a cultural shift happening among the younger generation of China, and that, with time, the demand for items such as red ivory may disappear. With this loss of demand, combined with social pressure, perhaps there may yet be enough time to save this species. As the helmeted hornbill is now critically endangered, there is nowhere left to elevate, no more alarms to sound. The next step is simply extinction.
References
BirdLife’s Conservation Efforts.” BirdLife, Bird Life International Asia, www.birdlife.org/asia/projects/helmeted-hornbill.
Campbell, Victoria. “The Helmeted Hornbill Is a Living Treasure-and That’s a Problem.” All About Birds, Cornell Lab, 12 Feb. 2019, www.allaboutbirds.org/news/the-helmeted-hornbill-is-a-living-treasure-and-thats-a-problem/Eaton, J. et al. Helmeted Hornbill (zrhinoplax vigil). N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.International, BirdLife.
“The Helmeted Hornbill Crisis and BirdLife’s Conservation Efforts.” BirdLife, Bird Life International Asia, www.birdlife.org/asia/projects/helmeted-hornbill.
Updated October 06, 2020.
