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  Profile

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  In flight

Hornbills

Narcondam Hornbill

Rhyticeros narcondami

• legendary
• 48 km/h
• Vulnerable

Entire species lives on one 6.8 sq km volcano in the Andaman Sea. Fewer than 1,000 birds, one island, no backup plan.

Population

750–1,400 individuals total (approx. 300–650 mature individuals), 2019–2020 survey

Habitat

Fairly open mixed forest covering most of Narcondam Island, from sea level up to ~700 m; relies on mature, undisturbed forest with large cavity-bearing trees for nesting (concentrated below 200 m)

Fun fact

The Narcondam Hornbill exists only on a single 6.82 km² volcanic island in the Andaman Sea, making it the Asian hornbill with the smallest global range of any species in its family.

Range

Endemic to Narcondam Island (6.82 km²) in the Andaman Islands, India — the smallest global range of any Asian hornbill species

Diet

Predominantly frugivorous, taking at least 22-23 fruit-plant species (including Ficus, Canarium euphyllum, and Aglaia); occasionally eats invertebrates and small reptiles

Size

0.66 m