The Palawan hornbill has a diet consisting primarily of fruit, but it will also feed on other plant material, insects and lizards. On its own, or in small groups, it searches for food at any level of the forest, from the canopy to the ground (4). Small groups can be easily detected by their shrill, raucous calls and wing-flapping (4).
Virtually nothing is known about the breeding behaviour of the Palawan hornbill; a male was found in breeding condition in April, and one nest has been photographed, around 20 meters up in a large tree. The entrance of the nest was sealed, with a female and her chicks inside (2).