Hornbills of Malaysia

Hornbills are large beautiful birds taxonomically placed in the family Bucerotidae. They normally nest in hollow of tree trunk. In Malaysia, ten hornbill species have been recorded, i.e. rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros), helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil), great hornbill (Buceros bicornis), white-crowned hornbill (Aceros comatus), wrinkled hornbill (Aceros corrugatus), black hornbill (Anthracoceros malayanus), plain-pouched hornbill (Aceros subruficollis), oriental pied hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris), bushy-crested hornbill (Anorrhinus galeritis) and wreathed hornbill (Aceros undulates). Pos Malaysia issued stamps with hornbill images on a few occasions. Among the ten hornbill species, rhinoceros hornbill is the most popular hornbill species depicted in Malaysian stamps. The other hornbill species which have been depicted in Malaysian stamps are great hornbill, helmeted hornbill, wrinkled hornbill and white-crowned hornbill.

One of the eight bird definitive stamps issued on 9 September 1965. The hornbill species on the stamp is rhinoceros hornbill. The male hornbill is feeding the female hornbill nesting in hollow of tree trunk.

One of the four beautiful hornbill stamps issued on 26 October1983. This is again a rhinoceros hornbill.

One of the stamps in a miniature sheet issued on 2 December 1996. The miniature sheet was overprinted with Hong Kong '97, and released on 12 February 1997. A pair of rhinoceros hornbills are shown on the stamp.

One of the four stamps to commemorate Visit Malaysia Year 2007. The stamps were released on 19 March 2007. The beautiful rhinoceros hornbill is on the left side of the stamps.

A pictorial aerogramme was released on 12 August 1996. The aerogramme bares a value 50c with an image of rhinoceros hornbill.

This miniature sheet was issued on 14 June 2004 depicting wildlife in Malaysia forest. The two rhinoceros hornbills are on the border of the miniature sheet.

This is one of the ten stamps released on 31 December 1999 to commemorate the new millennium. The hornbill species on the stamp is great hornbill.

A helmeted hornbill. Date of release: 26 October 1983.

A wrinkled hornbill. Date of release: 26 October 1983.

A pair of white-crowned hornbills. Date of release: 26 October 1983.

Hornbill has been used as a symbol and identity. Sarawak state, famous of hornbill, uses rhinoceros hornbill as the state symbol, and the state emblem carries the hornbill image. The above stamp is one of the 14 stamps released on 25 September 2007.


PS:
Pos Malaysia released a miniature sheet with hornbill images on January 12, 2009, and later with the overprint China 2009 on April 10-16, 2009.