Rhinoceros Hornbill

birds · tropical forests · giant beaks

Looks like a rhino. This bird gets its name from the huge curved casque on top of its head that looks surprisingly like a rhinoceros horn. No other forest hornbill has such a dramatic helmet.

Lives in rainforests. Rhinoceros hornbills make their home in the lush tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia, from the Malay Peninsula down through Borneo, Sumatra, and Java. They stick to mountain rainforests where it's wet and green.

Seriously massive. This is a large species of hornbill, meaning it's one of the biggest birds in the rainforest canopy. Its size and that enormous casque make it impossible to miss when you spot one.

Long-lived bird. In zoos and captivity, rhinoceros hornbills can live for up to 35 years, which is a really long time for a bird. This means a single hornbill might be around for the childhood of multiple generations.