Hornbill with broken upper and lower beak gets 3D-printed replacements in pioneering surgery

A male southern ground hornbill at Artis Zoo in Amsterdam has begun using a pair of artificial beak sections fitted through a 3D-printing procedure believed to be the first of its kind. The bird, which had suffered damage to both the upper and lower parts of its beak, showed signs of adapting to the replacements on the day of the operation, offering an encouraging early indication of the treatment’s success.

The injury had left the hornbill with two beak stumps, making everyday activities more difficult even though he could still manage some tasks. The beak plays a vital role beyond feeding, helping southern ground hornbills search for food, probe the soil and maintain their feathers. Restoring both sections was therefore important to improving the bird’s ability to carry out these basic behaviours.

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How the hornbill’s 3D-printed beak prostheses were developed

The procedure brought together specialists from Artis Zoo, Utrecht University’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UMC Utrecht and medical technology company Amnovis.

Utrecht University said CT scans and preserved fragments of the hornbill’s original beak were used to establish its shape and design replacements suited to the bird. Joëll Magré of UMC Utrecht developed the two 3D-printed prostheses, while Amnovis manufactured the titanium components used to attach them.

Artis veterinarian Martine van Zijll Langhout and avian specialist Yvonne van Zeeland helped develop the treatment plan. Veterinary surgeons Bjorn Meij and Lucinda van Stee performed the operation.

The intervention was notable because it replaced both the upper and lower portions of the beak. Artis Zoo described it as the first known case in which both sections of a bird’s beak had been repaired using prostheses in this way.

Hornbill picks up a mouse after the operation

The bird’s ability to use the replacements was a key measure of the procedure’s early outcome. According to Artis Zoo, he began using the artificial beak sections on the day of surgery.

By the following morning, the hornbill could independently pick up a small mouse from the ground. Within a few days, he had also resumed preening his feathers, suggesting that he was recovering some of the functions affected by the injury.

These early developments are encouraging, although they do not yet establish how well the prostheses will perform over the longer term.

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What the 3D-printed beak repair could mean for other birds

Veterinarians will continue observing the hornbill to assess how the replacements withstand regular use and whether they remain effective over time. The long-term outcome is still uncertain, and further monitoring will be needed before the procedure’s broader benefits can be established.

If the prostheses prove durable and functional, the technique could provide another treatment option for birds with comparable beak injuries. The team also hopes to publish its findings so that other veterinary specialists can learn from the case.

For now, the hornbill’s ability to pick up food and resume feather care provides an early sign that the reconstructed beak is helping him regain important everyday functions.