Dependence on mature trees for nests makes species especially vulnerable to deforestation
KOTA KINABALU: Deep in the heart of Malaysia’s rainforests, an echo reverberates through the canopy, a hollow, trumpet-like cry that once symbolised the spirit of the wild.
But today, that call is fading. The helmeted hornbill, known for its striking casque and powerful flight, teeters on the edge of extinction. Once a proud guardian of the forest, it now stands as a reminder of how fragile nature has become in the face of relentless human progress.
According to Explore Gaia Enterprise founder and scientific director Dr Ravinder Kaur, the helmeted hornbill is in a critical phase of survival.
“It is extremely difficult to know exactly how many are left. These birds cover vast forest ranges and it is hard to distinguish individuals. Unlike tigers, which can be identified by their unique stripe patterns, hornbills look very similar to one another.”
She said local communities have noticed a troubling trend as sightings of the helmeted hornbill are becoming exceedingly rare.
“You would have to travel deep into the forest, far from human settlements to even hope to encounter one. They have become almost mythical to those who know the land best.”
She explained that hornbills are unlike woodpeckers as they cannot carve out their own nesting holes.
“They depend on nature’s slow and delicate processes. Over many years, fungi and decay create hollows in the trunks of massive old trees, and that is where hornbills nest. These cavities do not appear overnight. It takes decades for a tree to become suitable for a hornbill family.”
This dependence on mature trees makes hornbills especially vulnerable to deforestation.
“Since the 1970s, Malaysia’s forests have been dramatically altered by logging and development. Hornbills prefer hardwood and timber trees, the same trees targeted for felling. When these are gone, hornbills lose their nesting grounds, and without nests, they cannot breed.”
Hornbills are long-lived birds, with lifespans of up to 30 years, but their reproductive rate is extremely low.
“You might still see many adult hornbills today, but the real question is: Where are the chicks? Where is the next generation?”
These birds will not lay eggs if they cannot find a suitable nesting site. They simply live in small groups, flying from tree to tree to pass the time.
Hornbills are among the slowest breeders in the bird world, according to Ravinder.
“The larger the species, the fewer eggs they produce. The helmeted hornbill usually lays just one or two eggs a year while smaller species lay around three or four.”
This delicate reproductive cycle makes them particularly sensitive to habitat disruption. When old-growth trees are lost, so too are the homes of generations of hornbills.
“We are talking about a bird that is not only ecologically important but culturally significant. Hornbills are seed dispersers. They carry fruits across vast distances, ensuring the regeneration of the forest. When we lose hornbills, we lose the forest’s natural gardeners.”
Sime Darby Foundation CEO Dr Yatela Zainal Abidin said the foundation has taken a special interest in hornbill conservation, recognising the bird’s ecological and symbolic importance to Malaysia.
“Hornbills have always fascinated us. They depend entirely on the health of the forest. When the hornbill disappears, it means the forest is dying too.”
She explained that the foundation’s focus on hornbills stems from its initiative to establish National Hornbill Day, a world-first celebration dedicated to the species.
“This does not mean we ignore other wildlife. We also support conservation efforts for orang utan and tigers in Peninsular Malaysia. But the Sime Darby Foundation was the one that pushed the Natural Resources and Sustainability Ministry to create National Hornbill Day, and that is something we are proud of.”
The foundation expressed hope that National Hornbill Day would one day gain international recognition, just as National Sun Bear Day did.
“When we first celebrated Sun Bear Day, it was only at the national level. Today, it is an international event recognised by conservationists around the world. We hope the same future awaits Hornbill Day.”
National Hornbill Day is celebrated every year on Nov 10, and 2025 marks its second year.
This year’s event took place at the Azman Hashim UMS Gallery, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, featuring educational talks and wildlife art, including pieces by Malaysian wildlife artist Christine Das, whose vivid hornbill paintings capture their beauty and the urgency of their survival.
Malaysia is blessed to host 10 species of hornbills, making it one of the richest hornbill habitats in Southeast Asia.
Among them, the rhinoceros hornbill, Malaysia’s national bird, reigns as the most iconic.
Found across Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, it thrives in protected areas, such as Taman Negara and Kinabatangan.
The helmeted hornbill, however, is the most critically endangered of them all.
Its unique solid casque, once prized for illegal carving and trade, has pushed it to the brink of extinction. Other species, such as the black hornbill and oriental pied hornbill, continue to adapt in lowland and mangrove forests, surviving even in fragmented habitats across East and West Malaysia.
In the lush landscapes of Sabah and Sarawak, hornbill diversity reaches its peak. Species such as the wrinkled hornbill, bushy-crested hornbill, wreathed hornbill and white-crowned hornbill can be found soaring above the Kinabatangan floodplains, Danum Valley and Gunung Mulu National Park.
These forests provide hardwood trees essential for nesting, a resource becoming ever scarcer.
On the peninsular side, hornbills are most abundant in Taman Negara, the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex and Endau-Rompin. The great hornbill and plain-pouched hornbill are among the most spectacular.
Every year, birdwatchers flock to Belum-Temengor to witness the sight of thousands of plain-pouched hornbills migrating across the sky, one of the last great wildlife spectacles in Malaysia.
