Get acquainted with Si Bule, the Nosy and Funny Papuan Hornbill

The following article was first published on  25 Oktober 2021

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Papua has a wealth of interesting flora and fauna. One of them is Burung Rangkong or in English it is called the Hornbill Bird. One of the hallmarks of the hornbill is that it has a beak that is larger than its body.

Researcher from the Papua Archaeological Center, Hari Suroto, said that the Papuan people refer to the hornbill as the tauntaun or the kumkum bird. And in Ugar Village, which is located on a small island in Berau Kokas Bay, Fakfak Regency, West Papua, there is a cute hornbill. “His name is Bule,” said Hari Suroto. For some reason it was named the Bule bird, even though the feathers of this bird are black with a white beak.

What’s interesting about the Caucasian is that he is docile and nosy. Hari Suroto said that the Caucasians flew freely and often perched on the roofs or fences of people’s houses. He is about one year old. At night, this bird sleeps on a power pole.

From morning to evening, the Caucasians fly low around the village residents. “Caucasians monitor the village road from where they perch. If someone walks while holding food, then he will fly and grab the food as fast as lightning,” said Hari Suroto. No one is angry with the bule’s annoyance. The person whose food was stolen by the Caucasians laughed happily.

Hari Suroto explained that the Papuan people call the hornbill a tauntaun because there are signs that show the age of this bird. “The more marks on the beak, the older the bird,” said Hari.

Hornbills are birds that are loyal to their partners. This pair of birds will be loyal to death. If one of the partners dies by the hunter, then the abandoned partner will not look for a new partner.

“This bird likes to make nests by pecking the trunks and branches of big and tall trees,” said Hari.

In the hole made, the female bird will lay eggs and incubate the eggs. The whole body will be in the hole. Only the head and beak that came out of the nest hole. When the female bird incubates the eggs, the male bird will bring food.

After the eggs hatch, the female birds leave the nest and take turns with the male birds looking for food and keeping their young in the nest. Ugar village where the action of the Caucasians is also known as a tourist village. In this village there is a white sandy beach overgrown with coconut trees, there are prehistoric paintings on karst cliffs by the beach, as well as underwater charm that is still awake.

Source: Tempo