Hornbill nests?

First time using a blog or anything like this (those who know me as an IT Idiot.. I can imagine your reactions) Well as I was told what better way to share Singapore's living treasures. So here it is, Blog entry 1: That little box in the tree? If i'm not wrong it's one of the hornbill nests set up to encourage them to breed! Saw this at just before the Alexander waves Southern ridges walk. Couple of years back I was hanging out of a bedroom window when my mutts went mad downstairs. Not the Yap-at-passing-car-or-puffed-up-cat-mad but the KILL-IT-EAT-IT mad when I looked down my best hunter was attempting a very clumsy tree climb (she managed about a meter before polishing the ground with her rear). The tree in question was a mango tree full of flowers and what do you know no less than 5 hornbills were stuffing their faces with the flowers. The pic at the top of this blog is a souvenier from that episode (with no zoom no fancy lens nothing thats how close they were!) Evidence that the ongoing breeding project has been successful.
Our local hornbills almost got extinct when we cleared our island of all the old hollow trees in which they nested. Once mated the male seals his wife into a hollow tree by blocking the entrance hole with mud. There she will stay for the months it takes to hatch her brood and for them to grow their mature fight feathers. With no suitable trees we got a few visitors from across the causeway but none remained to breed. Solution? Artificial nesting boxes like the one above. Here is another close up.





Now I think that family has settled in as my new neighbours. Many thanks to those who worked so hard to bring them back. From a super rare sighting they routinely visit the fruit trees in my garden and no one jumps at their loud "wonk wonk" any more. Even Stripes my hunter doesnt spare them more than a disgusted look. Maybe she is used to them but I'm willing to bet she remembers that afternoon when her alpha almost died laughing at her :)