THE GREAT INDIAN HORNBILL

The Great (Indian) Hornbills, one of the largest hornbills, are most commonly found in southeastern Asia. Their homes range from western India, through Indochina, south of Malaya and through Sumatra. These hornbills are found on sea level up to 5000 feet (1524m) above ground. Scientifically known as Buceros bicornis, it is usually found inhabiting the forests of Indian subcontinent, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, Indonesia. The average lifespan of the Great Pied Hornbill of India exceeds 35 years and may go up to 50 years in captivity.

Great Hornbills can grow to a length of 4.5 feet (1.4m). The body is covered with black feathers. The wing tips have a ban of white feathers. The tail, sometimes reaching up to 3 feet (7.6cm), is white with bans of black feathers across. The neck of this bird is surrounded with circle of fur. The bill is yellow and curved downward. One distinct mark of the hornbills is their casque. The casque of the Great Hornbill is solid ivory. They usually have short legs, but have broad feet. This particular species of hornbill is chiefly fruit-eaters.

Great Indian Hornbills like to eat various types of berries. Hornbills attract naturalists the world over on account of their large size, bizarre bill, projecting casque, colourful beaks, feathers, and peculiar breeding habits. Most of the hornbill species nest in cavities of old trees. The breeding pairs usually exhibit high nest site fidelity as they tend to use the same nest site every year. After selecting a suitable nest hole, the female goes in and incarcerates herself by sealing the entrance leaving a narrow slit, through which she, and later her chicks, receive food from the male.

At the time of nesting, the female hornbill starts living in a tree hollow sealed with dung and pellets of mud. The male collects the pellets, swallows them and regurgitates small saliva-cased building materials. This material is given to the female, along with food, through a slit in the tree seal. The process of incubation continues for 6-8 weeks. The female hornbill comes out only after she has molted and fresh feathers have grown on her and her young ones.
 

The Great Hornbill is the state bird of Kerala , Indian hornbills are rare and threatened with extinction. These birds are hunted in India for food and medicine. In Kerala the main threat is the destruction of their habitat. Due to ongoing habitat lost and hunting in some areas, the Great Hornbill is evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix I of CITES. The population of Great Pied Hornbill of India is declining over the years. The reason for this is habitat loss, along with hunting of the bird for food and for its casques.

Kaziranga National Park is an important bird area, as identified by the Birdlife International Society. A large number of migratory birds, game birds as well as predators can be found within the vicinity of the park. Some of the major species of birds residing in the area are the Greater Adjutant, Lesser Adjutant, Asian Openbill Stork, Eastern Imperial, Greater Spotted, Great Indian Hornbill and the Black Breasted Parrotbill. Besides this, 9 species of primates, 42 species of fish and several varieties of snakes are found in the park.