As a kid, I have always Dinosaurs. Reading about and drawing these larger-than-life creatures would take up most of my days.
My passion for them never wavered as I grew older. Even though most of them have been extinct for millions of years, there is one group of true Dinosaurs who still live among us: Birds.
Although I wasn’t much of an artist, I found that I could still document them through my camera and lens.
I then shared my observations and photographs of Philippine birds through social media, exhibits, talks, and TV appearances to reveal how beautiful and diverse they are and discuss why they deserve our protection.
The fun part is, we really don’t need to keep [Birds] to enjoy their presence.
One thing I learned growing up is that even the mightiest and most dominant of animals can be wiped off the face of the Earth with drastic changes to their environment. This is a similar challenge our Birds face today. We’ve lost over 90% of our forests and wetlands due to human activities.
Some of our wild Bird species are also continuously caught to be kept as pets. And while we all aspire for progress and have endless thirst for curiosity, it is paramount that we understand we have avian treasures who share our beautiful country and that they need their natural habitat if they are to survive the fate of their prehistoric ancestors.
Allow me, through my photographs and exploits, to share about these amazing creatures with you. The fun part is, we really don’t need to keep them to enjoy their presence. I’ll be showing the tools and preparations I make so that you, too, can have a much more rewarding and immersive experience seeing them in the wild through Bird watching and wild Bird photography.
And now, let’s talk about the Northern Rufous Hornbill.
A HORNBILL’S CALL TO ACTION
My quest to document the Northern Rufous Hornbill takes me to the Southern tip of the Sierra Madre mountain range in Infanta, Quezon. I have learned from my guide that the best time to see them is between the months of November and April when the Aguho and Balete trees near Marilaque highway start to bear fruit.
Popularly known as the Kalaw, the Northern Rufous Hornbill is the largest Hornbill species in the Philippines. They are also known for their loud honking sound that can be heard from a kilometer away. We would hear stories from locals, especially their elders, that a flock of Hornbills would make their calls before sunrise, at noon, and at sunset, giving locals their cue — especially those deep in the forest —that it is time to start the day, go back for lunch, or head back home before nightfall envelops their trail.
Hornbills use their calls to organize the rest of the flock and to drive other Hornbill families off their territory. We would listen to these calls to track a flock’s movement and look for fruiting trees for possible foraging sites and patiently wait for them there.
PATIENCE REQUIRED
Our guide would always tell us, “Kapag Kalaw ang hinahanap, talo ang mainipin.(When looking for a Kalaw, one needs to be patient.)”
In one of our sorties, we waited for eleven hours before a family of Northern Rufous Hornbills finally showed up to feed!
As these Birds cover vast distances to feed, it is really a test of patience to see them in the wild. But it is also the same reason they are key to the overall health of the forest.
Northern Rufous Hornbills are primarily frugivores. Through their droppings, they effectively spread the seeds of the trees they feed on, ensuring a new generation of fruiting trees will continue to grow.
STRONG FAMILY TIES
Northern Rufous Hornbills are very protective of their families and are usually wary of human presence. Normally, they will feed on the highest branch of the tallest Balete trees.
Our usual viewing distance from them is between 15 to 60 meters away. I personally use an 800 mm lens and a mirrorless camera to capture as many of their details as possible.
But since they are very large in size (around 3 feet tall), you can easily observe them with a pair of binoculars, a phone camera, or a lens of at least 400 mm in focal length.
I have spent numerous sorties, spanning the whole six months they were active in the area, to gain as much information as I could from these amazing creatures. I found that they have very strong family ties.
An adult pair would continue to watch over multiple generations of their offspring, from the immature members of their flock to the young adults. The older siblings of the family also take turns to feed the younger ones after they have had their fill.
I found that Northern Rufous Hornbills will always position the youngest members of the family in the middle of the flock whenever they feed. They also fly together with the youngest members in the middle of the formation. It is really amazing to witness these interactions firsthand, which are rare moments I would never forget.
ENDANGERED
Northern Rufous Hornbills are very protective of their families and are usually wary of Unfortunately, the Northern Rufous Hornbill is facing near extinction.
They are currently classified as Endangered by the National List of Threatened Terrestrial Fauna of the Philippines. This is due to the loss of our forests for agriculture and logging. They are also targeted by poachers for the illegal wildlife trade.
The calls of our “Clock of Mountains” continue to fade, with fewer and fewer of them being observed each year. But it is not yet too late. Planting native fruiting trees and reporting poaching activities will help ensure a new generation of these magnificent Birds will continue to safeguard our forests for years to come.
