Birdsong field guide
Oriental Pied-Hornbill
Anthracoceros albirostris
The Oriental Pied-Hornbill is a medium-sized, adaptable hornbill known for its striking black-and-white plumage and prominent ivory-colored casque. It is one of the few hornbill species that successfully thrives in human-modified landscapes and urban environments.
What it sounds like
A series of loud, shrill, and rhythmic cackling notes described as 'yak-yak-yak' or 'kak-kak-kak', often sounding like hysterical laughter.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
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Field notes
- It is the smallest of the Asian hornbills, typically measuring between 55 and 60 centimeters in length.
- The female seals herself inside a tree hollow with a wall of mud and droppings during nesting, leaving only a small slit for the male to pass food through.
- Its diet is omnivorous, consisting of a wide variety of fruits—especially figs—supplemented by insects, small reptiles, and occasionally smaller birds.
- Sexual dimorphism is visible in the bill; males have a larger casque with a black mark on the front, while females have a smaller casque and more extensive black markings on the lower mandible.
- Unlike many other hornbill species that require primary rainforest, this species is highly resilient and can be found in mangroves, gardens, and secondary forests.
Habitat
Lowland tropical forests, forest edges, mangroves, coastal scrub, and wooded suburban parks.
Range
Widespread across South and Southeast Asia, from the Indian subcontinent through Indochina to the Malay Peninsula and the Greater Sundas.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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