Hornbill home

Native to many parts of the Indonesian archipelago, the species common to Central Kalimantan is known as the burung tingang or tingang hornbill. It is a magnificent bird with striking white feathers in the mostly black plumage, and crowned by its glossy yellow horned bill and jaunty red crest. I heard a story recently which relates that, once the eggs are laid in a cosy hole in a tree, the male bird then closes it with twigs and mud, apart from a small feeding space it uses to bring food to the broody female. Whether true or not, we often catch glimpses of hornbills (or they of us?) swooping across the rivers. Since the forest on nearby land has been left to regenerate, and all birds protected, many species of hornbill have been spotted by keen birdwatchers. The feathers were greatly prized by locals, and some can still be seen adorning the headgear of traditional dancers. This carving was made to decorate a sandung, or traditional bone house.