Rare hornbill chicks spotted leaving nests in Yunnan

Hornbill chicks were recently filmed leaving their nests in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, offering a rare glimpse of the breeding season of a first-class state-protected species. Hornbills, listed as a first-class state-protected species in China, breed from March to June, with chicks beginning to leave the nests by July.

During the breeding season, female hornbills remain sealed inside tree cavities to incubate eggs and raise chicks, while males feed both the female and the young. From late June to early July, the chicks begin to leave the nest one after another. China is home to five hornbill species, all classified as first-class state-protected wildlife.