The Oriental Pied Hornbill is the island Mascot and one of the birds I was most looking forward to seeing on our trip to Kho Yao Noi.

The first night we happened upon them high up in the trees outside the resort but alas -no camera. I told myself, well at least I saw them.

A few days later we went to lunch at a little restaurant down the road. We were perched high up on stools in an open, rickety wooden structure overlooking the ocean. The waiter did not speak English as I found out when trying to explain I was vegan. As we were sitting enjoying the view, two hornbills flew right in front of us and behind the little restaurant. I jumped up and walked over to the waiter to ask if I could go out the back to see if I could find the hornbills. Of course, he had no idea what I was saying so in desperation I began to mime. I started flapping my arms to imitate wings and then did an interpretation of the long bill and the casque on top of my head. I had no sense of humiliation until I looked around and saw the Sherpa in hysterics. The poor waiter had no idea what I meant so he went and got the chef and the chefs interpretations was -oh she wasn’t to pay the bill!

The resort we were staying at has a second property on a mountain called 9 Hornbills Tented Camp. The resort took us on a little buggy ride up to the viewpoint where we found a few hornbills, once again high up in the trees. We spent half an hour watching them in the distance and listening to their monkey like cries ring out across the jungle.

I thought that was it for my encounters. They were good but I didn’t get the shot I dreamed of. On our second last day on the Island, we hired the same guides we had for an island tour to take us around a little more slowly. The very last stop was Sandy Beach to see the ocean near sunset. As we there, we spotted some Hornbills by the side of the road and ended up having the most wonderful encounter with a large flock. This was the shot I’d been after.

We had gone well over our allocated 4 hours with our guides but they knew how much I had wanted to see the Hornbills and seemed to be take pleasure in my joy and my “very big lens”!

The Hornbill that lives on the island is "Gag Bird" (or Curry Bird) is the smallest bird in the Hornbill family. Kho Yao Noi is considered the only island where Hornbills live with people in the community The villagers on the island consider Hornbills part of the community.

Tags:   2025 January Kho Yao Noi Thailand birds Anthracoceros albirostris Oriental Pied Hornbill bird Island

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