With their ostentatious beaks, colorful plumage, strident calls and unusual behaviors, hornbills are arguably one of the most charismatic groups of birds in the tropics. But its particularities have not prevented most of these species from being exposed to disappearance. And among them, the smallest hornbill in the Philippines: the Visayan hornbill or also known as the tarictic hornbill, from the Philippines.

This species endemic to this group of Asian islands is cataloged on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as "Endangered" y It is estimated that there are no more than 1.200 specimens in their habitat. These figures are not encouraging, since this entity states that the next updates about it could reflect a decrease in its population and fall below 1.000 individuals. And BIOPARC Fuengirola has been working to protect it since 2015.

Consolidated as one of the most active animal parks in the conservation of hornbills in Spain, BIOPARC Fuengirola is in luck with the birth of two Visayan hornbill chicks. A long-awaited event by the entire park's technical team. The peculiar courtship and laying of hornbills, added to the great character of these birds, has meant that for years laying has failed. The experience that both the hosting couple and the park team have gained over the years has meant that this time the installation has been successful.

This is a milestone in the conservation of this hornbill, as it is the first time that a center has managed to successfully reproduce this species, making BIOPARC Fuengirola the only one to do so.

At this moment, both chicks and their mother are in a wooden nest that simulates the cavity of a tree. in which these birds build their nests in nature. A nest that, after copulation, is sealed by the female from the inside except for a small hole, through which the male feeds the female throughout the incubation period and weeks after the eggs hatch, This is her offspring. Now all three depend, completely, on the food that the male passes them through this slot.

During these days, visitors can see how the male provides food to the female through the only opening of the nest and how she takes it to feed her little ones.. In the coming weeks, the team hopes that the chicks will be ready to go out to the facility and live with both parents, now outside the nest. When it occurs, the team will monitor each and every behavior that may occur, such as, for example, the possible aggressiveness of the male towards the chicks.

From the moment the female entered the nest, the team has been able to see the entire process from the outside - egg laying, incubation, hatching and growth of the little ones - thanks to a camera installed inside it. Live images that have allowed us to see the state of the three hornbills and the behavior of the female and her little ones inside it.

Courtship, laying and incubation: the great challenge of the technical team

Part of the challenge of the Zoology and Veterinary team was to face the entire reproductive process of these birds, a period full of particularities. Females are very selective, the stimulation that the male achieves is essential for her to ovulate and lay fertilized eggs. The courtship begins with a game of flapping wings and getting closer to each other. During the days that this process lasts, the male flirts with the female, plays with her and gives her small 'gifts' in the form of food. Once the female accepts the male, they will mate.

In the case of hornbills, the male has to convince the female that he is the right one. In the event that there is finally a laying, His life and that of the chicks will depend one hundred percent on him. He will be responsible for feeding and protecting the female and the young. If everything has been a success, the female will take refuge in the cavity of a tree to begin laying.

As indicated previously, this particular process and past failures have caused the team to make improvements both in the assembly of these hornbills and in their facilities, for example, modifying the substrate of the nest and the provision of materials to the two specimens for their construction, alternating the other species of birds that live with them or even, on this occasion, leaving the couple alone during the entire process.

Now the Zoology team is focused on feeding the male, providing food every hour so that he can provide it to the female. The contribution of extra food to the usual diet of these birds has been increased in recent weeks and modified taking into account the possible needs of the small chicks that are still in the nest.

Four different conservation programs dedicated to hornbills

In 2018, Bioparc Fuengirola expanded the number of ex situ conservation programs in which it participated within the EAZA with three EEPs dedicated to the preservation and protection of three species of hornbills: the double-horned hornbill, the Papuan hornbill and the black-throated hornbill. These were in addition to the work already done with the Visayan hornbill. In this way, the Malaga animal park is one of the most active in Spain in the conservation of these exotic birds, housing four of the sixteen species described today, all of them threatened.

Hornbills are threatened by habitat destruction. The clearing of large areas of rainforest has diminished the forests on which these birds depend for breeding, food and shelter.