The hornbills are a family of bird which can be found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia, and Melanesia. Hornbills are distinctive from other birds’ species due to its massive ‘double-storey’ bill consisting of a long, deep beak with a projection known as a casque on top.
Being known as the Land of the Hornbills, Sarawak is home to eight out of 54 species of hornbills in the world where one of it is Rhinoceros Hornbill, which is the Sarawak state’s bird. Black, oriental-pied, rhinoceros and wreathed hornbills are four most prominent hornbill species in the State.
Sarawak is widely known as the ‘Land of the Hornbills’. This is to the fact that the Hornbill has been an icon to the natives of Sarawak and still features very prominently in their culture and customs. The protection of hornbills and other wildlife have, in the last 50 years become ingrained into the psyche of us Sarawakians.
Most hornbills are found in Totally Protected Areas (TPAs) in Sarawak. Hornbill habitats are protected by the establishment of national parks, nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. Pisau Nature Reserve, Gunung Mulu National Park, Tanjung Datu National Park, and Batang Ai National Park are among places where hornbills are frequently spotted in Sarawak.