Austen's Brown Hornbill - BirdForum Opus

Alternative names: Brown Hornbill, Assam Hornbill; White-throated Brown Hornbill

Anorrhinus austeni

Identification

60 - 65cm. A medium-sized, brown Hornbill with a white-tipped tail.

Male

• White cheek and throat
• Pale creamy bill
• Rufous-brown underparts

Female

• All dark head and throat
• More grey-brown below than male

Similar species

Male Tickell's Brown Hornbill have rufous brown cheeks and throat. Females have a dark bill.

Distribution

From northeast India east to southern China, Burma, northern and central Thailand, Laos, western Cambodia and northwestern Vietnam.
Locally common but has declined in many areas due to loss of forest habitat. Many populations have disappeared or are now isolated.

Status

Classified as Near Threatened in the 2008 IUCN Red List³

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species.
The described subspecies indochinensis^[2] is usually not recognised.
Sometimes considered conspecific with Tickell's Brown Hornbill and placed in the genus Ptilolaemus with the latter.

Habitat

Evergreen broadleaved forest.

Behaviour

Feeds on fruit and small animals. Also arthropods, bats, snakes, lizards, snails, earthworms and chicks and eggs of other birds.
Occurs in groups of 2-15 birds.
Breeding season starts March to June in India, February to March in Thailand. A co-operative breeder with a dominant pair and several helpers. Nests in natural tree holes or in old holes of Great Slaty Woodpecker. Lays 2-3 eggs, rarely more.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Avibase
3. BirdLife International (2008) Species factsheet: Anorrhinus austeni. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/7/2008.
4. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 2001. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 6: Mousebirds to Hornbills. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334306

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Austen's Brown Hornbill. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 5 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Austen%27s_Brown_Hornbill

External Links

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