![]() Sutherland-Smith has had the pleasure of working as a veterinarian for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in various capacities starting as a resident in 1990. Following veterinary school, she completed a one-year internship in small animal medicine and surgery at The Animal Medical Center is New York City. After completing a Master’s in Biochemistry at North Carolina State University (NCSU) she attended the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine graduating in 1989. Meg Sutherland-Smith received her Bachelor’s in Arts & Sciences from Virginia Tech in 1982. Meg Sutherland-Smith, Director of Veterinary Services, San Diego Zooĭr. The majority of the fluids in the diet are obtained through the diet items.The SDZWA host for this trip will be: Dr. Like several other species, the rhinoceros hornbill can be susceptable to iron storage disease. In captivity, the diet is composed of low-iron pellets, various types of fruits and vegetables, insects, and rodents. The seeds are deposited in the fecal material after the remainder of the fruit has been digested. Rhinoceros hornbills play a significant role in dispersing seeds from numerous fruit trees. Figs make up a significant portion of the diet in the wild. The diet in the wild consists of primarily fruit, but also will include small mammals, lizards, snakes, and insects. Offspring are fed by the parents for another six months after fledging from the nest. ![]() Both parents will continue to care for the chicks inside the nest until they reach 80 days of age, at which time the chicks will break the seal and leave the nest. After the female has left the nest, the chicks work to reseal the entrance. During the period that the female is sealed inside the nest, she will undergo a complete molt of all flight feathers.Īs the chicks reach a month in age, the female will break out of the nest leaving the chicks inside. At this point, one to two white eggs will be laid in the nest and the female will incubate for around 40 days. The sealing material is a mixture of feces, food and mud. When the site has been chosen, the female will enter the cavity and both birds will seal the entrance to the cavity, leaving only a slit large enough for food to passed into the nest and fecal material to be ejected from the nest. The pair search for the nesting site that has the smallest opening through which the female is able to squeeze through. The pairs begin by searching for a available nest cavity in a tree trunk or primary branch. The breeding season in the wild last from January until April. During the breeding season, both members of the pair defend their territory, advertising their presence with loud, trumpeting calls. Within the flock, the pairs of birds remain together and the males will routinely feed the female to maintain the pair-bond. Rhinoceros hornbills are typically observed in a pair, although it is common for them to be observed flocking in small parties while foraging for food. The habitat is primarily dense lowland evergreen forest (excluding swamp forests), hill dipterocarp forest and sections of logged forests. The range of the rhinoceros hornbill extends into the Malay peninsula, western Indonesia, Borneo, Java, and Sumatra. They are CITES listed as a Species at Risk (IUCN Lower Risk/Near Threatened). Primary threats to the population of rhinoceros hornbills are loss of habitat, poaching for the feathers and live bird market, and hunting for food. The males are slightly heavier, weighing in at 6.4 pounds compared to 4.5 to 5.2 pounds for the female. The overall body length including tail is approximately 47 inches with a wingspan measuring approximately 60 inches. The circumorbital skin is black, the eyes are red in the male and white in the female. The thighs and abdomen are white in color. Both the beak and casque are naturally white, but over the course of time they are stained orange and red by rubbing their beak against a gland beneath their tail. They have a large, bony casque and a lightweight but strong bill comprised of a dense covering over a sponge-like cellular tissue. The rhinoceros hornbill is a very large, primarily black bird with a white tail and a thick, black band near the center of the tail feathers. SSP Manager: Rachel Miller - Santa Barbara Zoo Description Coraciiformes Taxon Advisory Group - Rhinoceros Hornbill ( Buceros rhinoceros)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |