The Narcondam hornbill (Rhyticeros narcondami) is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae. It is endemic to the Indian island of Narcondam in the Andamans. Males and females have a distinct plumage. The Narcondam hornbill has the smallest home range out of all the species of Asian hornbills. Description The Narcondam hornbill is a small hornbill at long. The sexes differ in plumage. The male has a rufous head and neck, black body and upper parts glossed with green. Females are all black. There is a bluish white throat patch and the tail is white in both sexes. Both sexes have a bill with a few folds on the upper side towards the base of the upper mandible. The skin around the eye is bluish. The iris of the male is orange red while the female has an olive brown with a pale yellow ring. The bill is waxy and the furrows of the casque are brownish. The bill is pinkish towards the base. The legs are black and the sole is yellow. Taxonomy The species was described by Allan Octavian Hume in 1873. The Narcondam Hornbill is placed in the genus Rhyticeros which is found only in Asia. Molecular evidence suggests that hornbills originated in Africa. Closely related species include species like wreathed hornbill (Rhyticeros undulatus) and Blyth's hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus). Behavior Vocalizations Adults have a ka- ka- ka call in flight and a ko ... kokoko..ko..kok.. kok.. call at the nest. The young in the nest produce feeble chew calls. Diet and Ecology The hornbill is predominantly frugivorous. Based on seeds in the middens below nesting trees, the following food tree species were identified: Anamirta cocculus, Capparis sepiaria, C. tenera var. latifolia, Garuga pinnata, Amoora rohituka, Terminalia catappa, and Ixora brunniscens. Nine species of fruits were recorded in their diet in a later study: Caryota mitis, Myristica andamanica, Artocarpus chaplasha, Dillenia indica, Sideroxylon longipetiolatum, Syzygium cumini, Ficus scandens, Ficus glomerata, and Ficus sp. Like other hornbills, they also consume invertebrates and occasionally feed on small reptiles. They sometimes mob white-bellied sea eagles that fly too close. Being predominantly fruit eaters, they play an important role in the seed dispersal of figs and other plant species. Figs are important in the ecology of many other insular hornbill species and are a major factor determining the distribution patterns of hornbills in forests. Reproduction The breeding period spans at least