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Ornithological Science
Abstract
Abstract
Hornbills (Bucerotidae) are large, canopy-dwelling birds in tropical forests that eat various kinds of fruits. We obtained conclusive evidence of the consumption of fallen figs Ficus stricta by Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris on the ground in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand, by using camera traps. At least one male Oriental Pied Hornbill was photographed removing sample figs from the ground around a fruiting tree. The use of cameras for the study of birds is generally impractical; however, this method can provide some useful baseline information on the behavior of certain avian species, as demonstrated in this study.
We are grateful to the National Research Council of Thailand and the National Park Division of the Royal Forest Department of Thailand, for granting us permission to conduct the study in Khao Yai. We extend our cordially thanks to the staff at Khao Yai. We thank T. Maruhashi, N. Noma, B. Saengthong, S. Chuailua, S. Nakkuntod, S. Sanguanchat, N. Jirawatkavi and all staff of the Hornbill Project for supporting our field work as well as their kind encouragement and hospitality. We are also grateful to two anonymous reviewers who suggested useful improvements. We also thank Mahidol University for general support. This research is partly supported by a Research Fund of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (#1357006) and JSPS Research Fellowships for Young Scientists (DCl) for S. Kitamura.
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