ABOVE: Male Rhinoceros Hornbill Buceros rhinoceros  feeding preparing to feed on the ripe fruits of a Caryota no palm which is dying in one big bang. Photo by Shavez Cheema 

Borneo’s Palms typically fruit in  one of two ways;

  1. Steady State: Once aduly these palms fruit continuously producing a steady stream of flowers and fruit eg. oil palm, coconut palm, betel palm, Oncosperma palms, Borassodendron palm, Pholidocarpus palms, Arenga palms
  2. Big Bang. Produce no fruit until fully mature, then produce a vast amount of fruit in one big bang lasting several weeks e.g. Corypha palms, Eugeissona palms, Caryota palms. Once fruiting is finished the palms die having exhausted their food reserves.
Rhino Hornbill on Caryota No Tabin Anthea
Female Rhino Hornbill waiting to feed on the fruit of a dying Caryota no palm at Tabin in Sabah. Photo by Anthea Phillipps.