I had always wondered what “Writhed” means whenever the name of this species came up in the past. I thought it was a name of an English discoverer, but lately I have known that the names means “Wrinkled.”
I was also surprise to find out that this bird is also called Mindanao Wrinkled Hornbill in reference to its wrinkled horn bill. This other name would have easily made me understand and relate to the species as the Philippines’ own wrinkled hornbill, better if it is known as Philippine Wrinkled Hornbill.
Birdlife has listed the Writhed Hornbill as “Near Threatened” as it is likely to be declining moderately rapidly owing to habitat loss, as well as exploitation by hunters and trappers. Its population size could be small, as it is largely restricted to primary forest, and it should be carefully monitored. It also described it as poorly known and rare.
Seeing the critically endangered Philippine Eagles in the wild and nesting is glorious enough! Seeing the near threatened Writhed Hornbill in the same area doubles the glory one can behold in that old growth forest where the similarly near threatened Rufous Hornbill can be seen and photographed.
WRITHED HORNBILL, Male, Philippine Endemic restricted to the islands of Mindanao, Dinagat and Camiguin, Near Threatened, at Mt. Apo Natural Park, March 2014… Canon EOS 7D + EF 600mm f/4L USM + Benro Tripod and GH-2 Gimbal Head… 1/640, f/4, iso800, Aperture Priority +1/3, Partial Metering, www.facebook.com/
Alain Pascua
Alain Pascua began in 2009 his crusade as a wild bird photographer using photos of wild birds in their natural habitats as tools for education and conservation. He is one of the founding-administrators of the "Wild Birds of the Philippine" Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/philippinebirds) where he and fellow bird photographers share their photos and galleries of Philippine wild birds to the internet world. He co-founded the Philippine Bird Photography Workshops and Tours (https://www.facebook.com/wildbirdphotog.ph) in 2011, and the Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines (WBPP - https://www.facebook.com/groups/wbpp.admin/) in 2012. Alain Pascua’s photos of wild birds have graced the 2010 year-end advocacy ads and 2011 calendar materials of TeaM Energy, the 2011 calendar of Philippine Eagle Foundation and its 2011 advocacy posters and ads at Mindanews' Our Mindanao Magazine, the 2012 Peatlands in Southeast Asia advocacy poster of Global Environment Centre, and the newly published book Owls of the World A Photographic Guide by Heimo Mikkola. Alain Pascua won second place in the 1st Bird as Art International Bird Photography Competition organized by Art Morris in the Captive Birds Category. His galleries may be viewed online at the following sites: http://www.alainpascua.smugmug.com http://www.facebook.com/alainpascuaphotography http://www.facebook.com/philippinebirds
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