How do hornbills pluck bats out of the air?

This video is not for those who love cute little bats or who might be sensitive about witnessing a hunt. But for those who want to see the omnivorous oriental pied hornbill‘s binocular vision and precision beakwork, this clip from the BBC’s Eden: Untamed Planet may prove fascinating.

While the Wallace’s hawk-eagle has three-inch-long talons to help them catch bats in mid-flight, the hornbills of Malaysia have found that sitting in the trees plucking bats out of the air is a more effective strategy for their traits.

“Only now has the full behavior been caught on camera. Of all 54 species of hornbill, the oriental pied has the most diverse diet.”

File under hunting, birds, and bats. Other videos include:
• An osprey fishing in spectacular super slow motion
• The Black Egret’s Umbrella Trick
• Baby Bat Burritos at the Australian Bat Clinic
• The Bat Emergence at Bracken Cave in the Texas Hill Country