Rhyticeros cassidix
The knobbed hornbill (Rhyticeros cassidix) is a large fig-eating hornbill endemic to Sulawesi, with a red casque, and South Sulawesi's identity animal.
PANDUANHEWAN · INDONESIA
Knobbed hornbill vs Blyth's Hornbill: the differences
How do the Knobbed hornbill (Rhyticeros cassidix) and Blyth's Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus) differ? Classification, features, range, diet, size, IUCN status and legal protection, from cited sources.
The knobbed hornbill (Rhyticeros cassidix) and Blyth's Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus) are different species in the same genus, Rhyticeros. Range in Indonesia — the knobbed hornbill: Sulawesi and the islands of Lembeh, Togian, Muna and Buton; Blyth's Hornbill: Papua, Maluku, West Papua.
Rhyticeros plicatus
Blyth's Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus). Blyth's hornbill is a large canopy hornbill of Wallacea and Melanesia; ground observations may reveal only its silhouette or calls.
Knobbed hornbill and Blyth's Hornbill compared
| Aspect | Knobbed hornbill | Blyth's Hornbill |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Rhyticeros cassidix | Rhyticeros plicatus |
| Indonesian name | Julang sulawesi | Julang Irian |
| Class | Aves | Aves |
| Order | Bucerotiformes | Bucerotiformes |
| Family | Bucerotidae | Bucerotidae |
| Range in Indonesia | Sulawesi and the islands of Lembeh, Togian, Muna and Buton | Papua, Maluku, West Papua |
| Endemic to Indonesia | Yes | No |
| Key features | Wrinkled red casque in males, white tail, blue throat | — |
| Diet | Mainly figs (Ficus) and other fleshy forest fruit | — |
| Diet type | herbivore (plant-eater) | herbivore (plant-eater) |
| Reproduction | laying eggs (oviparous) | laying eggs (oviparous) |
| IUCN status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Legal protection | Protected (Regulation P.106/2018) | Protected (Regulation P.106/2018) |
Every cell comes from the sourced data on each animal’s page; an empty cell means the data is not yet available, not that it is absent.
How to tell them apart
- Knobbed hornbill: Wrinkled red casque in males, white tail, blue throat.
Sources
- BirdLife DataZone — Knobbed Hornbill Rhyticeros cassidix species factsheet ↗
- Balai Besar KSDA Sulawesi Selatan (2025) — Rangkong Sulawesi: Penjaga Hutan dan Simbol Kesetiaan dari Langit Sulawesi (Wayback Machine copy) ↗
- Indonesia.go.id — Sekelumit Cerita Upaya Penyelamatan Burung Besar (Wayback Machine copy) ↗
- Kompas.com (2023) — Flora dan Fauna Identitas Sulawesi Selatan (Wayback Machine copy) ↗
- Peraturan Menteri LHK Nomor P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi ↗
- IUCN SSC Hornbill Specialist Group ↗
- Oiseaux.net (AVONET/Birds of the World traits) ↗
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (GBIF) ↗
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — accepted taxon ↗
- GBIF occurrence search — Indonesia, human observations, 2016–2026 ↗
- iNaturalist — exact species taxon and community observations ↗
- Species account — background reading ↗
- IUCN SSC Hornbill Specialist Group ↗
- Vigie-Nature École (MNHN) ↗
- EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014, Ecology 95:2027), BirdFuncDat.txt ↗
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