Yellow-billed hornbills enjoy a rather catholic diet, eating anything from fruits to small mice that they will raid from any nest they happen to discover. They can grab quite large food items with their formidable beaks, but before swallowing, a little repositioning of the item might be required.
A couple of days ago I came round a corner and saw a female hornbill hopping around on the road with something in its beak.
I quickly reached for my camera and snapped a couple of shots:
At first I couldn’t see what the hornbill had grabbed. I just saw her flipping something in the air and re-catching it.
Having such a long bill and without being particularly dexterous with their feet, hornbills rely almost exclusively on their beaks to manoeuvre food into a position from which they can swallow it. I imagine the repeated repositioning and clamping down might also help soften the food item, facilitating easier ingestion.
Of course, if whatever has been caught is still alive and kicking, and not too badly injured, the hornbill has to be careful to maintain a tight grip, or…
…the vigour of their prey might win through, and the hornbill might go hungry. I was only able to identify the prey as a beetle once examining the photos afterwards. I’m not sure what species it is, but it looks like some sort of fruit chafer; a member of the Scarabaeidae family. This isn’t too precise, as there are over 30 000 of them! My best guess would be a Savannah fruit chafer, but I could be well wide of the mark.
These days it’s fashionable to use human emotion to talk about animals’ struggles for survival, and while I’m in no way suggesting that there isn’t emotion involved when it comes to many animals’ day-to-day, I do think we tend to ascribe them more than they are due. I guess as humans, our ability to think cognitively will necessarily lend us more choice when it comes to our own struggles, a luxury – or not, depending on circumstance – that many animals don’t possess. We can think, we can get swayed by emotion, we can witness another’s struggle – even one of something so seemingly insignificant as a beetle – and as a result we tend to be slightly awed by the creature’s tenacity, its sheer dogged determination to never give up.
In reality, though, I think the beetle had no choice here. It was simply riding on instinct. As long as there is fight left in it, keep fighting. There is no mechanism in whatever neurological system it has that would ever give it the option of quitting.
That is real nature, and something many of us have lost touch with.
In modern, western society, it can be all too easy not to have to struggle these days, to coast along, and especially to not commit to something when the odds seem overwhelmingly against us.
For us – well, for me certainly – there’s something enviable about that tiny little beetle simply continuing his own struggle, without even having to give it a moment’s thought.
James, what photos – I have never seen a hornbill eating a beetle
Quick thinking and shooting. I have learned to never let my guard down while visiting Londo. Seems to always be something interesting or even exciting around the corner. Even on a stroll through the camps, I always have a camera.
Now, back in the states, I have taken the same philosophy, never take a moment for granted and to notice life around me. Not that I have a camera at hand but rather, stop and take notice. reminds me of the old saying my grandmother always said, “ stop and smell the roses.”
Well done. Cheers!
Agreed. Just this week I was talking with someone about how exhausting it is to live in a time where there are limitless options and opportunities (and I understand I am fortunate enough to say that, because there are still others for whom this is not a reality). It makes quite a burden of choosing correctly. When there is no choice, it seems less likely one could make a mistake, so sometimes out of sheer overwhelm, I find myself *almost* wishing for that scenario instead…
The hornbill certainly has a posture that signifies loss……………… 🙂
This reminds me of one my favorite quotes. The distinguished British biologist, J.B.S. Haldane late in his career, found himself in the company of a group of theologians. On being asked what one could conclude as to the nature of the Creator from a study of his creation, Haldane is said to have answered, “An inordinate fondness for beetles.”
It seems to me that all wildlife/nature has the instinctive drive to overcome and survive. Humans do tend to relate emotionally and often admire their tenacity. Great images, James!
This blog has a wonderful sequence of photos, playing perfectly into your thought-provoking words.
There certainly are lessons to be learned from the natural world……
An interesting blog James and very thought provoking. The pics of the hornbill and it’s “almost lunch” were amazing. A beautiful looking bird and also a very disappointed one. Beetle 1, hornbill 0. Thanks for sharing with us.
Great pics and interesting article…although I don’t think there is as much difference between human and nonhuman animals as you state. I have seen animals give up – take a tour of a dog shelter in the US – and there really isn’t an emotion we have that other animals don’t. Of course, it helps people to think otherwise, so some of us can eat them.
Brain size doesnt correlate with intelligence. what is intelligence anyway? The fact is, humans do not have the largest brains on the planet, either in absolute size or in proportion to body size. Whales and elephants have the biggest brains of any animal on earth. people hate small things and assume that because something is small it is stupid and useless. I don’t understand that. Do large eyes see better than small ones? what about noses. do large noses smell better than small noses? this is stupid, ridiculous nonsense.