Malabar Pied Hornbill: From Forest to Fragments

Photo Story Published : Oct 20, 2023 Updated : Oct 23, 2023
An important seed disperser in deciduous forests, the Malabar pied hornbill has had to adapt and contend with the reality of dwindling natural habitats
Malabar Pied Hornbill: From Forest to Fragments
An important seed disperser in deciduous forests, the Malabar pied hornbill has had to adapt and contend with the reality of dwindling natural habitats

I was in Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, watching a pair of jackals feeding on a carcass when a loud beating of wings broke through the treetops. I looked up to find a male Malabar pied hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus) settled on a fig tree. My heart leapt; it was my first sighting of this magnificent bird. Years later, I remember the wonderful sight vividly. This prehistoric-looking bird, perched on a tree, was regurgitating fruits and leaning forward to push it into a gash in the trunk. Presumably, it was feeding these fruits to its mate, who was sequestered in a cavity nest. During nesting, female hornbills wall themselves into holes in trees to lay their eggs and raise the chicks once they hatch, while the male keeps his mate and offspring fed and healthy. There is something so tender and heartwarming about how these hornbills care for one another.

India has nine species of hornbills, of which the Malabar pied hornbill is spread across parts of Central and Eastern India, in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Bihar, and in the Western Ghats, in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Kerala.

They look similar to their northern cousin, the Oriental pied hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris), but can be differentiated by a larger body and greater head and casque size. Malabar pied hornbills feed mainly on fruits; figs are a favourite. These hornbills are often found by the margins of rainforests, venturing to plantations and other similar areas with fruiting trees in search of food. They also eat termites, fish, crabs, small reptiles, and even young birds and other small animals. With pristine forest habitats dwindling, most species face the dilemma of adapting to newer, more disturbed habitats — or facing extinction. Malabar pied hornbills appear to be among the more adaptable species.

Malabar pied hornbills inhabit modified landscapes that were once pristine but are now a mosaic of plantations, crop fields, commercial areas, urbanised regions, and fragmented forests. Their ideal habitat is riparian habitats, i.e. areas around rivers and streams, below 700 m elevation. Because humans also tend to occupy and modify lowland landscapes along rivers, the Malabar pied hornbill has had to adapt to new environments. This hornbill was spotted on a water tank in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra. This adaptability is handy for a bird dealing with rapid habitat loss and competing for food resources with other frugivorous birds and bats. Photo: Rohitjahnavi, CC BY-SA 4.0

Cover photo: Dhritiman Mukherjee

(1) Females can be recognised by the white rings around the eyes. (2) These rings are absent in males. Males also have red eyes. (3 & 4) Courting hornbills are as romantic a sight as the monogamous sarus crane. Males woo females through “nuptial feeding”, i.e., they feed a potential mate various fruits, especially figs. The female, if willing, accepts the gift and allows the mating. During the nesting period, around March or April, the female locks herself into a cavity in a nesting tree and seals it with a mixture of poop and fruit pulp.

Malabar pied hornbills do not make the cavity in the tree bark themselves. Instead, like Goldilocks, they search for a suitably large tree with just the right-sized cavity to nest in. Unlike Goldilocks, however, they do not fuss over the species of the chosen tree. They may nest in Tetrameles nudiflora and Terminalia bellerica, among other species. Once the right cavity is found, the female lays two to three eggs and remains inside until the chicks are a few weeks old. The dedicated father will bring fruits for his mate and offspring, making several trips a day to keep them fed and healthy. The female emerges from the nest when the oldest chick is a few weeks to a month old and then assists in feeding the young. Photos: Dhritiman Mukherjee

Photo sources: Sindhudurg, on fishtail palm tree, on Ficus mysorensis tree

About the contributor

Bhavya Iyer

Bhavya Iyer

has itchy feet that take her in search of wild landscapes, good food, and dark coffee. An alumnus of the Wildlife Institute of India, she has an interest in carnivore ecology and environmental policy.

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