Hornbill breeding takes flight in Singapore

Pair produces 3 chicks in a year after being released into the wild
Chang Ai-Lien, Straits Times 2 Jan 10;

CALL them the poster chicks for conservation.

Three baby birds have been produced by an oriental pied hornbill 'couple' released into the wild from the Jurong BirdPark last year.

The distinctive bird, once extinct here, is the first animal to be taken from captivity to help strengthen numbers of Singapore's native creatures, through a collaboration between the bird park, the National Parks Board (NParks) and the Singapore Avian Conservation Project.

The project marks a step forward for wildlife in Singapore's urban jungle, said Mr Wong Tuan Wah, NParks director of conservation.

'NParks is excited about this early success in what is likely to be a long-term recovery of the hornbill population,' he said. 'We wanted to help these kings of the forest along because they are such a large, spectacular native bird which the public can really appreciate.'

The parent birds in the project - male Sada, 20, and its mate Lily, 10, were together for seven years before being released into a forested area in Bukit Timah. Despite being loving partners in captivity, sparks did not fly and they did not produce any chicks.

Freedom proved to be a powerful aphrodisiac.

Once introduced into the wild in December 2008, they made up for lost time immediately - eggs were laid in January last year which resulted in two chicks, Angel and Bobby, hatching a month later. A third chick, Christine, hatched in June.

This is the first time in research on the species that two successful clutches have been recorded in a year, rather than the norm of just one.

Jurong BirdPark general curator Raja Segran said: 'To do so, they must have had space, food and security to spare.

'These birds were part of our lives in the past, and it is wonderful to be able to share the island with them again.'

The park is an international leader in hornbill breeding, with seven of its 13 oriental pied hornbills bred in-house.

Hornbills mate for life, and it is the male which provides for the female and her chicks for three to four months, after she seals herself into a tree with 'hornbill glue' made with saliva, mud and fruit to protect her brood.

They generally nest in tree holes, but the authorities have provided some extra public housing for them, although lacking somewhat in privacy.

More than 20 nesting boxes have been placed in forested areas around the island, fitted with surveillance cameras so researchers can study the birds' behaviour.

Recounting an incident the cameras captured of Lily, Mr Raja Segran said a 2.5m-long python had slithered up to the nest, hoping to get through the opening slit to eat the baby birds.

'The female kept it away by pecking it and when we arrived the next morning, the snake was curled around the nesting box,' he said.

The oriental pied hornbill plays an important role in forest health, dispersing seeds that are too big for smaller birds to eat.

It vanished from Singapore's shores over 150 years ago, but made a comeback in 1994, with migrants flying in from neighbouring countries to make Singapore their home. There are now more than 50 of them on Pulau Ubin and around the mainland.

The sight of the 70cm black-and-white birds with their giant beaks and harsh cackle thrilled engineer James Tan, 42, and his seven-year-old son, Ethan, who were having lunch at Changi Village recently.

'I never knew such a large bird existed in Singapore, and it was a most unexpected sight,' he said.

Other native creatures could also be reintroduced in the future.

NParks is in the midst of animal and plant surveys, while the bird park is looking at whether local songbirds such as shamas and thrushes, or another hornbill species - the rhinoceros hornbill - would be suitable candidates.

A documentary on the oriental pied hornbill, Singapore Hornbill Project - Return Of The King, will be screened to the public at the Singapore Botanic Gardens on Jan 16 and 17.

Those who want more information should visit www.nparks.gov.sg

More details on the free film screening on the wildsingapore happenings blog.