The male has rufous/buff face and neck, orange-red eyes, and a high red casque on the top of his bill.

[3] An Indonesian endemic, the knobbed hornbill is found in Sulawesi, Buton, Lembeh, Togian and Muna Island.

Breeding season spans 27–30 weeks and appears to be triggered by a dramatic reduction in rainfall.

During this time, the male will provide foods for the female and the young through a slit in the seal.

Despite being locally very common, they are threatened by habitat destruction from logging (since they depend on large and mature trees for breeding) and to some extent by hunting.