Mindoro Tarictic Hornbill

The Mindoro Tarictic Hornbill, another endangered wildlife from the island of the Tamaraws.

Tarictics are hornbills, large mystifying birds with distinctly shaped bills belonging to the family Bucerotidae.

There are four similar kinds of hornbills in the Philippines belonging to the genus Penelopides, but these species do not look exactly alike and live geographically apart.

About a hundred years ago, the Mindoro Tarictic was abundantly found in lowland areas, and even during the 1970’s they have been reportedly seen in flocks of up to 50 individuals.

These numbers have been rapidly declining, and reports say it is now rare to see them in flocks of seven.

What makes survival difficult for these birds? First of all, the forest, their home, is shrinking. Everyday it gets smaller and smaller due to logging and land conversion for agriculture. Secondly, they are hunted for food. Because of their size and visibility, they are easy shooting targets. Now, the Mindoro Tarictic is sighted in a few lowland primary forests, forest edges, or secondary growth forests.

The Tarictics have also been seen in isolated woodlots and even in single fruiting trees in cultivated areas, but prefer closed canopy forests. They are rarely seen beyond 1,000 meters above sea level unless they are disturbed by human activities in the lowlands. Although they have been seen to feed in forest edges, hornbills by nature are arboreal and very dependent on large forest trees, living and feeding off the upperstorey or canopy of a forest.

The Mindoro Tarictic has been classified as an Endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This means that it is at a very high risk of extinction, and unless something is done to save them, the Tarictics of Mindoro will be gone in the next 20 years.
Besides their aesthetic value and their right to life, Tarictics play an important role in forest regeneration as they disperse the seeds of the fruit trees that they feed on. They are part of the intricate web of forest life, from which our human needs such as water, food and shelter can be traced back to.

Several groups in Panay and Negros Islands have worked over the years to be able to save their Tarictics. There are existing facilities for rescue and captive breeding, and ongoing research on how to stabilize the population of the Visayan Tarictics. Unfortunately, there have not been the same conservation efforts specific for its kin in Mindoro.

A tarictic feeding tree

Mindoro Tarictics forage for food either alone or in groups, and sometimes even with other birds such as the Green Imperial-pigeon and the Coleto. Usually there is a lookout among the group who will first scout the area for predators before the rest of the group perches on the food tree.

Its diet includes carbohydrate-rich figs, lipid-rich drupes and capsules and other watery fruits. These include fruits of the Balete, Dao, Is-is, Igyo, Malugai, Kalumpit, Tuai, and Duguan trees. An insect or small animal may occasionally spice up its meal. It is fascinating to watch hornbills eat, as they peck at the food, place this at the tip of their bills, then toss it before swallowing. If the food bit is too big to swallow, they will chew on this, place it again at the tip of their bill, then toss back to their throat.

Unlike other birds, the nest of a hornbill is a cozy cavity high up in the trunk of a large tree. Biologists believe they breed around the months of April and May.

It is sad to note that when a foraging male Tarictic is caught or killed, its female partner also dies of starvation. The females do not leave their nestholes during breeding season and are highly dependent on their male partners to bring home food. Biologists also observe that fidelity is a trait among Tarictics.

The greatest threats to the flying foxes are habitat loss, disturbance of roosting area, and hunting for food and for trade. Air guns, shotguns, slingshots, thorny vines, nets and tree snares are used to catch them, but the most destructive of these are nets, since juveniles and those in pregnancy get caught as well. Statistics estimate that a seasoned hunter can bag as many as 50 flying foxes per month!

Studies such as population counts and monitoring have been effective at estimating remaining numbers and rate of decline of this species. However, more research is urgently needed if we are to stop the extinction of flying foxes. There is still very little known information about their habitat, foraging range, roosting behavior, diet and natural history. Researches on this would greatly help conservationists assess how the species can be saved.

• Head, neck and underparts – yellowish white
• Ear coverts and band across throat – black
• Upperparts, upper tail-coverts and wings – black with metallic green sheen
• Tail – brick red with black tips
• Bill – wide and hooked (casque), black with yellow tip and yellow stripes across upper mandible (stripes become more developed with age)
• Eyes – reddish brown
• Legs and feet – dark brown