A love story from the rainforest

TODAY is Love Hornbill Day. It is no coincidence that this day falls on the eve of Valentine’s Day. While many of us are preparing to celebrate love in bustling shopping malls or over candlelit dinners, hornbills are celebrating in the quiet canopy of the rainforest, tucked away in tree holes.

Hornbills are the true romantics of the animal kingdom. Once they find a mate, they generally pair for life, embodying a fidelity that inspires us all.

But their courtship goes far beyond sticking together; it involves a nesting ritual that is a pact of total surrender.

When it is time to nest, the female hornbill makes the ultimate sacrifice. She enters a natural hollow in a tall tree and proceeds to seal the entrance with mud and droppings, leaving only a tiny vertical slit open to the outside world.

Inside this dark cavity, she is not merely hiding; she is transforming. She sheds her flight feathers, rendering herself flightless and completely vulnerable. For a duration that can last from 90 to 120 days, she relies 100% on her partner to feed her and their growing chicks through that narrow gap.

For three to four months, the male works tirelessly, flying back and forth to deliver regurgitated fruit and insects to his imprisoned family. It is a relationship built on absolute, unwavering trust.

This devotion is a marathon, not a sprint. Unlike many other birds that find new mates each season, a hornbill couple often grows old together.

Hornbills are incredibly long-lived, often surviving 35 to 50 years in the wild. They cherish stability, often returning to the same tree hollow year after year to raise their young.

While the loss of natural habitats often leads to tragedy, some stories shine as beacons of resilience. Enter Ringo, a spirited Oriental Pied Hornbill who refused to let the shortage of ancient trees end his lineage.

In a forest where the large, hollow trees essential for nesting were disappearing, Ringo and his mate faced a desperate crisis: they were ready to start a family, but they had nowhere to go.

But Ringo is a survivor. When he encountered an artificial nest box – a strange vessel introduced to the canopy by conservationists – he did not fly away in fear. Instead, he spent days inspecting the man-made home, tapping on its walls and checking its safety before finally convincing his partner to trust it.

She accepted his choice, sealing herself inside this new kind of sanctuary. For the next three months, Ringo proved that love is adaptable, faithfully delivering food through the slit of the artificial nest until their chick was ready to fly.

Ringo’s journey from homelessness to proud fatherhood changes the narrative from one of despair to one of possibility, proving that with a little help, devoted hornbill couples can thrive even in a changing world.

Deforestation is stripping forests of the ancient, hollow trees essential for hornbill nesting. But through Sunway University’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals – SDG 15: Life on Land, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – we are fighting back.

In partnership with Gaia, Sunway University is taking action to give these devoted hornbill couples a fighting chance. We are uncovering what tree species are important for the hornbills through the application of metagenomics.

This Valentine’s Day, as you celebrate with your loved ones, spare a thought for the hornbills.

Their story reminds us that love is not just about joy; it is about trust, protection and survival.

Happy Love Hornbill Day.

SOO TEIK YUAN

PhD student, Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School

DR RAVINDER KAUR

Director of Gaia

ASSOC PROF YOW YOON YEN

School of Pharmacy, Sunway University

and PROF FELICIA CHUNG FEI LEI

Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School

Sunway University