Vertebrate prey handling in the Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris (Aves: Bucerotiformes: Bucerotidae)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5272.11.14.14891-14894Keywords:
Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris, Garden Lizard Calotes versicolor, prey handlingAbstract
Most hornbills are omnivorous, but there are few specific records of how vertebrate prey are handled by hornbills, particularly in Asia. I describe an observation of a pair of Indian Grey Hornbills Ocyceros birostris handling a large vertebrate prey item (Garden Lizard Calotes versicolor) which included both manipulation (crushing) in the bill and repeated wiping on the branch of a tree, the latter technique undescribed for this or other species of hornbill. Likely reasons for this behaviour are discussed.
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