A juvenile male rhino hornbill, possibly the first wild individual sighted in Singapore since it was exterpated in the 1800s. Shot at Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve.
It has been in Singapore for a couple of days already, but is unlikely to stay long-term. I heard some estimates that this bird is probably around a year old.
Yes, this individual is exceptionally bold, sometimes getting very low and close! This particular photo was taken when it was about 3m off the floor, about 5-8 metres away.
For the past few days, it has followed a fairly consistent route throughout the day traveling about 2km. It starts the morning in the more foresty part of Kranji Coastal Nature Park (formerly Sungei Buloh Eastern Extension), moving north-west along the coast as the day continues, through the mangroves at Kranji Coastal Nature Park, and reaching Sungei Buloh proper around noon. It hangs around there, near the Wetland Centre until the early evening where it moves back towards the same spot as the morning. It apparently never crosses the Sungei Buloh Besar to the mudflats as there is no food for it there.
