Narcondam Hornbill: Tale of a Rescue

On 19th April 2013, while collecting data to estimate the population of the Narcondam hornbills (Rhyticeros narcondami), my assistant Justin Sumit Kumar and I heard a hornbill calling out. It was not its usual rhythm. During our month-long stay on Narcondam Island, we had never heard such a painful call. The “kraa kraa kraa” call sounded like the bird was distressed. As a bird researcher, I was curious about this call and what this bird was trying to communicate. As the individual seemed close by (about ten metres), we tried to find it.

We stopped under a tree of the Syzygium species, where the bird’s calls became loud and harsh. We could now hear rapid wing beats as if the bird was trying to fly but could not. As the canopy was dense, we could not at first see the bird, but we guessed it was in trouble.

We finally spotted the hornbill on a thin branch about 11 metres above ground in the canopy, but we didn’t know what the problem was and wondered how we could reach it. I asked Justin about his tree-climbing skills, and he said, “Yes, I can do it”. Though he sounded confident, I hesitated. Being in a remote place and understanding the risks of climbing a thin branch, I wasn’t comfortable letting him climb. However, Justin was confident of his skills and experience in tree climbing and just started up the tree before reacting to my double-checking. When he reached the hornbill, he called out from the canopy that the individual was stuck and unable to fly. A few seconds later, I heard him shout loudly and hurl abuse —the hornbill had bitten Justin’s finger while he’d tried to get a hold of it. I called from the ground but got no reply. Somehow, Justin balanced on the thin branches in the canopy and got hold of the hornbill by its beak. Once he had complete control of the bird and his own body, he realised that a bunch of thin climbers were entwined with the bird. As always, Justin surprised me with his skill, strength, and courage. Balancing himself carefully, he took great care not to harm the hornbill in his hands as he broke the plants and freed the bird.

I was amazed as I watched Justin skilfully climb down the tree with the majestic and colourful male Narcondam hornbill in his right hand, close to his body. He brought the bird down safely as it still had some bits of climbers wrapped around its lower abdomen.

Once both Justin and the hornbill were down, we examined the climbers around its body. The bird appeared to be four years old. A long climber stem was wrapped around its lower abdomen and must have tightened when the individual attempted to escape. We carefully separated the pieces of the climber and checked for any scarring where the climber had been entwined. Some marks seemed superficial, and the feathers from that area were gone. Otherwise, things seemed fine. There were no deep wounds or bleeding, and it didn’t seem like it might have internal injuries. All the while, the hornbill was continuously calling loudly. Once we removed the climber from its abdomen, the bird relaxed and became silent. After making it a little more comfortable, we analysed its condition and decided to release it, praying that this magnificent male, about to attain adulthood, would successfully fly away and survive. 

We released it on the ground, hoping its legs were okay. It hopped twice on the floor, jumped on the tree trunk around eight metres above ground, and then let out a set of regular calls “kraa kraa kraa”. Suddenly, a female called from the same canopy. We were amazed that this female had been so close, perhaps observing the whole event, and had remained silent until the male was out of danger and his regular call. The female started to call continuously and came to the lower canopy. She was the same age as the male. Within a few seconds, they were together in the upper canopy, not far from where Justin had rescued him. The female came close to the male, and then, calling out, they flew off together.

Five hours later, we returned to the same tree and checked to see if the pair was there. They were not, and we assumed they were fine. As the female had accompanied the rescued male, and both were more than four years old, we assumed they were a new pair getting ready to breed. This assumption was based on the fact that we had never observed any Narcondam hornbill aged less than four breeding. 

Like other hornbills, the Narcondam hornbill nests in tree cavities. After pairing, the female occupies the tree trunk/branch hold. She enters the tree hole and then covers up the opening using excreta and mud, leaving a small slit open. Females lay eggs and raise chicks inside the tree hole. During this period, the male brings the female and chicks food. Though hornbills are fruit-eating birds, they were usually seen delivering grasshoppers, mantids, spiders, lizards, skinks, and snakes to the female and the chicks inside tree holes. The male collects the food in its pouch-like area near the neck. Once near the nest, the male regurgitates the fruits and other food materials and passes it to the female and chicks through the slit. The male hornbills sometimes ejected more than 100 seeds in a single visit. Once the chicks are ready to fledge, the female breaks the wall and emerges from the nest. Then, within 2-3 days, the chicks are also ready to exit the nest. This family will move around together for around a month before they disperse.

This was our second visit to Narcondam Island. With grants from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govt. of India, we sought to understand this bird’s population status and ecology. It was the Narcondam hornbill’s breeding season between January and April, and we saw immature birds moving in pairs (male and female) and mature females ensconced in their nests inside tree holes.

Of the nine species of hornbills found in India, only three are considered endemic (found exclusively in India): Malabar grey hornbill (Ocyceros griseus), endemic to the Western Ghats, Indian grey hornbill (Ocyceros birostris), widely distributed over peninsular India and the Narcondam hornbill restricted to the tiny 6.82 sq km Narcondam Island in the Andaman Sea. The Narcondam hornbill (Aceros narcondami) is the only hornbill species found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Because of its low population and isolated distribution, it is susceptible to extinction. The Narcondam hornbill is a high-priority species for avian conservation in India and worldwide. Based on the population estimation, the species was recently moved to “Vulnerable” from the “Endangered” category on the IUCN’s Red List. The species is also protected by the Indian Wildlife (Protection Act), 1972, in Schedule I, with high priority for conservation.

At the end of the day, Justin remarked, “We saved many hornbills today”. Answering my confused look, he said, “The male we saved will pair with the female. Then, they will lay eggs and raise chicks. The chicks will become adults and raise their own chicks, and this will go on”. With an amused look on my face, I couldn’t help but nod in agreement.