The Helmeted Hornbill Is a Living Treasure—and That’s a Problem. Over the last decade, Helmeted Hornbills have experienced a dramatic increase in poaching for their casque, which is carved into luxury objects similar to elephant ivory. In addition, loss of old-growth forests, required for nesting hornbills, further threatens this species, and as a result it leapt from Near Threatened to Critically Endangered in 2015. In the remote old-growth forests of Southeast Asia lives the Helmeted Hornbill—a spectacular bird with an immense bill that seems like a work of art. Sadly, those ivory-like casques have spurred a wave of poaching that is driving the species toward extinction. Photojournalist Tim Laman documents intimate details from their nests and a growing movement to stop the illegal trade.
