Ever wondered why some birds behave strangely?
Well, the hornbill is one of those birds and today, you will see some amazing facts about this bird.
The home of the hornbill is tropical and subtropical areas in Asia and Africa. This dark colored bird looks like though it is handicapped and bearing a huge burden by its huge beak.
Also, when the female hornbill is walled up in the hollow of a tree, with only a hole large enough for her to project the tip of her bill, you and I may well conclude that something has definitely gone wrong.
Looks, though, can be deceptive. Filled with many air chambers, the awkward-looking beak is comparatively light and just perfect for hornbills.
When perched on a branch that is strong enough to support the weight of its body, the hornbill makes very good use of the long beak to reach for fruits.
For quite a few weeks, the females of most varieties live in confinement and are fed regurgitated food by the males. The females of at least on variety performs something outstanding- they make a wall of clay, dung and food particles and the ever loyal males obligingly bring the needed clay. This provides the female with an undisputed environment as she incubates her eggs.
While still being walled up, she loses her tail and wing feathers which makes it impossible for her to fly until they are replaced. Thus, her self-imposed imprisonment serves as a protection.
'Mr. Hornbill' however, is kept very busy in caring for his mate and offspring. In the course of an hour, he may visit the nest 20 times to supply food! How caring.
Once the hatched birds develop an appetite that is too much for their dad, the now fully feathered mother breaks free and begins helping her mate to feed their offspring.
The youngsters proceed to close up the enlarged opening through which their mother exited.
Here comes the fun part- as time passes, a conflict of interests may arise among the little birds! Some may want to leave while others may not be on the same path. This results in one bird breaking down the wall and and the other will be right on the job doing repair work!
Truly, careful observation and vast amount of research time and again reveal that strange features and habits of animals serves a good purpose.
Hornbills, with their long beaks and extraordinary nesting procedures are not an exception.
Conclusion
The hornbill, though behaves strangely, reveals wonderful feelings for a bird.
Even birds can have different goals in life!
Let us learn to admire the beauty of both the hornbill and many other creatures around us.
What other strange and funny experiences do you have of birds?
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