These illustrations (below) were taken during my stay at Imperial hotel Miri. The decoration for the coming Gawai wasn’t that impressive but I was amazed by the illustration of the Head Hunter and the Hornbills.

Hornbill illustration, the symbol of Sarawak, the native people, the beautiful Borneo island, the mystical forest and the haunted river.

Sarawak Bumi Kenyalang or Sarawak the land of Hornbill is a land of headhunters and a haven for many species of birds. In all my life, I have never seen a live Hornbill in Sarawak. I would expect it is easy to find but that was not the case.

I have tracked these birds in Malacca! Beautiful isn’t it?

Rhinoceros Hornbill is protected in Malaysia under the wildlife Act 1972. These birds live in dense lowland evergreen forests, excluding swamp forests and hill dipterocarp forests. Also found up to 1,200 m. Common in primary and secondary forests. Very beautiful bird indeed!

1. Black hornbill with white abdomen and white tail with broad black band across the center.
2. Large orange bill and recurved casque distinctive.
3. Conspicuous and noisy.
4. Flying with rushing wing beats and calling with loud braying notes.
5. In captivity, lifespan of between 10 – 16.
6. Eat fruits, lizards, tree frogs, bird eggs, spiders and large insects. In zoos, the diet includes meat, fruits, eggs and day-old chicks
7. Clutch of 1 – 2 eggs. Incubation period between 37 – 46 days nestling period 78 -80 days.

Gawai1 is coming! Also known as “Gawai Dayak” however Wikipedia also calls it as “Dayak Never Die/DnD” sounds like James Bond. Anyway, I hope I would have time to do “ngabang” (means house visiting in Iban language) during this festive season.

Happy Gawai to the Sea2 and Land3 warriors of Sarawak!

1. Gawai Day or Gawai Dayak’Dayak Never Die /DnD, a festival celebrated in Sarawak on 1 June every year is both a religious and social occasion. The word Gawai means a ritual or festival whereas Dayak is a collective name for the natives races in Sarawak; the Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Murut people and a few more. Thus Gawai Dayak literally means “Dayak Festival” – Wikipedia.org [↩]
2. The Ibans are a branch of the Dayak peoples of Borneo. They were formerly known during the colonial period by the British as Sea Dayaks. Ibans were renowned for practising headhunting and tribal/territorial expansion. A long time ago, being a very strong and successful warring tribe, the Ibans are a very feared tribe in Borneo. They speak the Iban language – Answers.com [↩]
3. The Bidayuh is a name of a tribe on Borneo island. They are a subgroup of the Borneo Dayak tribe. Bidayuhs originally came from the western part of Borneo. They were called Land Dayaks by the British who colonised the the part of Borneo called Sarawak which is now a state in Malaysia – Answers.com [↩]