They roost in a tree close to the trunk or large branch. Like all hornbills except the large ground hornbills of Africa, Red-billed Hornbills nest in holes in trees where the female is sealed up for two to three months while she incubates the eggs and feeds the young with insects brought by the male. The female molts and re-grows her feathers during incubation. She breaks out of the nest when the eldest chick is 21-22 days old. The chicks reseal the entrance alone using their droppings and food remains.
Chicks fly well on first emergence from nest, never returning.
They may remain with their parents for 6 months. These ground-dwelling hornbills run rather than hop. They are expert diggers for which their bills are well-adapted. The long tail may be used as a brace while hanging on to a vertical tree trunk near a nest hole. Red-billed Hornbills are regularly preyed upon by large raptors and sometimes taken by puff adders.