Though they live far away, the concerning case for hornbills is capturing the interest of some folks in Williams Lake.
Deforestation, the ivory trade and the pet trade are all threats faced by these big-billed birds, as explained during a Dec. 5 talk at the Scout Island Nature Centre.
Dr. Chris R. Shepherd, executive director of the non-profit organization Monitor Conservation Research Society, led the talk with the purpose of raising awareness around the less-commonly known bird and what issues different hornbill species face.
It’s not a toucan...
Shepherd’s presentation started off by getting his audience of 18 familiar with hornbills and what little quirks make them unique to other birds as well as to each other.
Though they both have large bills, that’s about as far as similarities go between the South American bird known as a toucan and hornbills, found only on the continents of Africa and Asia.
Hornbills come in many varieties, from smaller, city-dwellers known as oriental pied hornbills to the massive, helmeted hornbills which can grow to almost one- and-a-half-metres. Hornbills are commonly referred to as the gardeners of the forest as they play an essential role in dispersing seeds, especially fig seeds which feature prominently in their diets.
What distinguishes hornbills the most from other birds is what’s called a casque, which extends above their bills and in some cases reaches as far as the back of their heads. It’s not entirely clear why a hornbill’s bill is so large and what purpose the casques serve, though it’s sure to help them crunch through unripe figs or to get the best of an opponent in combat.
There are 62 different species of hornbills, 26 of which are globally threatened or nearly threatened with extinction.
Illegal trading and the loss of nesting sites
With all their wonders, hornbills are not immune to the threat of extinction which many animals face today.
The helmeted hornbill, for one, sits “very close to extinction,” said Shepherd. These particular hornbills are a target for the ivory trade as their casques are made of red ivory.
Hornbills are also vulnerable to the pet trade, a huge problem for all kinds of animals whose trade is often illegal and carried out through unethical and cruel methods. Indeed, illegal wildlife trading is so common, Shepherd said he could go on Facebook at any moment and purchase almost any animal he could think of.
“If we’d find a unicorn on there I wouldn’t be surprised,” Shepherd said. The pet trade, he added, is not being addressed by Facebook, where many traders will openly post about their ability to deliver to any country, even those where owning a hornbill is illegal.
Despite their size, Shepherd said even larger hornbills have been smuggled by pet traders, shoved in PVC piping or in crates with duct tape used to keep their bills shut.
“The profit margins are enormous,” Shepherd said, explaining the survival of just one hornbill in transit and the death of several others would still be worth-it for traders.
For bigger hornbills, deforestation is a serious issue as they depend on massive trees to nest. Hornbills have a unique nesting method which involves finding a hole in a tree and sealing the female in with her eggs, and eventually her babies. As you can imagine, it takes a large tree to fit a bird as big as a metre, trees whose wood is valuable for furniture production or trees farmed for the growing palm oil industry.
Research and solutions
While hornbills don’t get the same attention which animals such as elephants or whales may be getting, there are still efforts to address the threats they face.
Shepherd’s team at Monitor does research into the illegal or unsustainable trade of lesser-known wildlife such as certain species of porcupines, pangolins and hornbills.
The organization helps to combat this sort of trade by using its research to inform policy and raise awareness. It investigates the trade of hornbill ivory and pets by mapping out trade chains and identifying which airlines are being utilized by traders. The organization has created a database where all the information on the hornbill trade can be gathered, and where reports of illegal trade or ownership can be made.
Malaysia, the home of several hornbill species, has recently launched a national hornbill day and is distributing postal stamps featuring the bird.
Research is also being done on hornbill nesting, with man-made nests being tested to see how humans can help the birds as they face the loss of their habitat.
The issue of illegal wildlife trading is not unknown to Canada, where animals are smuggled both in and out of the country. Canada is a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement aimed to ensure species are not threatened by their trade. As a party to the convention, Canada must monitor trade and regulate permits to ensure trading is done in a sustainable way.
In B.C., you can help by reporting instances of poaching to the RAPP hotline, 1-877-952-7277 or to the online RAAP reporting service.
You can learn more about hornbills by visiting the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Hornbill Specialist Group site.
