Habitat
Subtropical and tropical lowland moist forest. Also subtropical and tropical montane moist forest, swamp forest and dry forest. From sea-level to 1,500 m.
Indonesia (B), Papua New Guinea (B), Solomon Islands (B).
Northern Moluccas, Seram and Ambon through New Guinea and adjacent islands to Bismarck Archipelago, and east to Solomon Is (Buka, Bougainville, Shortland, Choiseul, Santa Isabel, Guadalcanal and Malaita).
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Blyth's Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus) [XC151644]
by Mike Nelson from Weda, Central Halmahera, North Maluku, Indonesia (wing beats)
Blyth's Hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus) [XC388867]
by Elisabeth Hein from Karawari Lodge, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea (flight call)
Subspecies
Has been thought to form a superspecies with Plain-pouched Hornbill (Rhyticeros subruficollis), and in past these two frequently considered conspecific. Has also been deemed possibly conspecific with Narcondam Hornbill (Rhyticeros narcondami), but differs significantly in size and in details of bill colour. Several geographical subspecies have been described, from northern Moluccas to central New Guinea (ruficollis), eastern New Guinea (jungei), Bismarck Archipelago (dampieri), western Solomons (harterti), and eastern Solomons (mendanae), leaving nominate subspecies for populations of southern Moluccas only. However, variation appears to be largely clinal, with overlap in size and colours, and boundaries difficult to define.
The following 6 subspecies are recognised:
ruficollis (Vieillot, 1816) - Northern Moluccas and western New Guinea.
plicatus (Forster, 1781) - Moluccas to Solomon Islands.
jungei Mayr, 1937 - Eastern New Guinea; vagrant to Fergusson I. (D'Entrecasteaux Arch.).
dampieri Mayr, 1934 - Bismarck Arch. (New Hanover, New Ireland and New Britain).
harterti Mayr, 1934 - Solomon Is. (Buka, Bougainville, Fauro and Shortland Islands).
mendanae Hartert, E, 1924 - North-western & central Solomon Islands (Choiseul and Vella Lavella southern to Malaita and Guadalcanal).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet