Justification Although this species has a large range, it occurs at low densities and is patchily distributed. It is likely to be declining moderately rapidly throughout its range, and is therefore considered Near Threatened.

Family/Sub-family Bucerotidae

Species name author Linnaeus, 1758

Taxonomic source(s) Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

decreasing

2,950,000 km²

No

Range & population Buceros bicornis has a wide distribution, occurring in China (rare resident in west and south-west Yunnan and south-east Tibet), India (locally fairly common, but declining), Nepal (local and uncommon, largely in protected areas), Bhutan (fairly common), Bangladesh (vagrant), Myanmar (scarce to locally common resident throughout), Thailand (widespread, generally scarce but locally common), Laos (formerly common; currently widespread but scarce and a major decline has clearly occurred), Vietnam (rare and declining resident), Cambodia (rare), Peninsular Malaysia (uncommon to more or less common) and Indonesia (uncommon on Sumatra).

Ecology: This species frequents evergreen and mixed deciduous forests, ranging out into open deciduous areas to visit fruit trees and ascending slopes to at least 1,560 m. The abundance of this species tends to be correlated with the density of large trees, and it is therefore most common in unlogged forest.

Threats Logging is likely to have impacted this species throughout its range, particularly as it shows a preference for forest areas with large trees that may be targeted by loggers. Forest clearance for agriculture is also likely to have contributed to declines. It is particularly susceptible to hunting pressure as it is large, visits predictable feeding sites (such as fruiting trees) and its casques are kept or sold as trophies.

Conservation measures underway CITES Appendix I.

Conservation measures proposed Monitor populations across the range to determine the magnitude of declines and rates of range contraction. Campaign for the protection of remaining extensive tracts of lowland forest throughout the range.

References BirdLife International (2001).

Further web sources of information

Fully detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001), together with new information collated since the publication of the Red Data Book

Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), James Gilroy (BirdLife International)

IUCN Red List evaluators Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), James Gilroy (BirdLife International), Alison Stattersfield (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Buceros bicornis. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 10/2/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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