Post by Ely Teehankee on May 1, 2013 10:46:02 GMT
The Twin Lakes located at Sibulan, Negros Oriental consist of Lake Balinsasayao & Lake Danao, that is famous for their resident bird the Visayan Hornbill (Penelopides panini) 21 inches and endemic to the Philippines. After waiting on a boat in front of the tree where the Visayan Hornbill was nesting for almost an hour we thought that the male will not show up to feed the female. To protect the nest from predators the male encloses the nest with mud like cement just leaving a small hole big enough to insert the fruit into the nest for the female to eat. This would go on everyday until the egg is hatched. The male continues to feed the female & the hatchling until they are ready to fly, and only than would he crack the seal of the nest to release the mother and the hatchling. If the male does not return because of being killed by the hunters or captivity, both female and hatchling would die of starvation.
Canon EOS 1DX, Canon EF 800mm f5.6L IS USM, Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, M-3.6 Mongoose Gimbal Action Head. Manual exposure in available light.
This is how the nest of the Visayan Hornbill looks like. It is inside the cavity of a tree and the entrance is sealed to protect the bird from predators. The hole looks so small but it is just big enough for the bird to go in and out.
1/400 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
This is the male Visayan Hornbill clinging to the trunk of the tree to insert the small fruit on his bill thru the small opening of the nest to feed the female that is literally imprisoned inside the nest to keep her safe from predators.
1/400 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
The male Visayan Hornbill has a good grip on the trunk and inserts one berry at a time to the waiting female. He has around 10 berries stored inside his large beak which he feeds one at a time to the female thru the small hole of the sealed nest.
1/400 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
He perches near the nest and waits for an opportune time to feed the female. You can see the small berry that is held on his beak.
1/400 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
Canon EOS 1DX, Canon EF 800mm f5.6L IS USM, Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, M-3.6 Mongoose Gimbal Action Head. Manual exposure in available light.
This is how the nest of the Visayan Hornbill looks like. It is inside the cavity of a tree and the entrance is sealed to protect the bird from predators. The hole looks so small but it is just big enough for the bird to go in and out.
1/400 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
This is the male Visayan Hornbill clinging to the trunk of the tree to insert the small fruit on his bill thru the small opening of the nest to feed the female that is literally imprisoned inside the nest to keep her safe from predators.
1/400 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
The male Visayan Hornbill has a good grip on the trunk and inserts one berry at a time to the waiting female. He has around 10 berries stored inside his large beak which he feeds one at a time to the female thru the small hole of the sealed nest.
1/400 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
He perches near the nest and waits for an opportune time to feed the female. You can see the small berry that is held on his beak.
1/400 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
