Rare & very big great hornbill wows birdwatchers near S'pore quarry

You might have seen hornbills around Singapore.

The oriental pied hornbills in fact, are becoming an increasingly common sight ever since the government's repopulation efforts.

Recent hornbill sightings in the vicinity of the Singapore Quarry however, feature a slightly different bird.

Large bird

A great hornbill, which can be twice the size of an oriental pied, has sent birdwatchers into a tizzy.

This species can grow to between 95cm and 130cm, and its wingspan can reach lengths of up to 152cm.

Unlike oriental pied hornbills, great hornbills have a casque that appears U-shaped from the front, and an orange-tipped beak.

One birdwatcher and photographer, Lui Nai Hui, was lucky enough to be able to capture shots of the hornbill on Jun. 3.

In a Facebook post, Lui said that the bird was initially hiding high up at the cliff, and she was unable to see it with her naked eyes.

"Suddenly someone shouted “Fly! Fly!”, I quickly aimed my gear towards the sky, and there it was flying from the cliff!"

Lui told Mothership that it was her first time seeing this species, and that she was "elated" at being able to photograph it.

Potentially an escapee

Great hornbills have been seen in Singapore before, though infrequently.

Birds of Singapore previously theorised that a great hornbill sighted here in 2017 is likely to be an escapee, as there is little evidence of the species' dispersal to Singapore from elsewhere like Johor.

It is noted that the species has a relatively restricted home range of 20 sq km, and sightings are not common in the south of Johor.

It is uncertain if the individual spotted recently is the same as the one seen in the past years.

However, Lui also observed that the individual she spotted has a ring around its leg.

The great hornbill is native to Southeast Asia, and classified as "Vulnerable" according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

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Top photos courtesy of Lui Nai Hui