[4] The common name commemorates Edward Blyth (1810–1873), English zoologist and curator of the museum of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.

[5] Various subspecies have been described across its range:[6] The Papuan hornbill occurs throughout lowland forests, from sea level up to 1,200–1,500 m ASL, in the Moluccas, New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and as far east as the Solomon Islands.

The female is restricted to the nest cavity throughout the incubation and nestling period, being largely sealed inside by plastering up the entrance with a mixture of fruit pulp and rotten wood, leaving only a narrow aperture through which the male feeds her.

[9] Still widespread throughout its large range, the Papuan hornbill is assessed as least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

[10] However, it is subject to hunting pressure by some tribal groups, who use its feathers in headdresses, its bill as a personal adornment, and the lower mandible as a spear point.