Malabar Grey Hornbill

Appearance

The Malabar Grey Hornbill is a large bird and mid-sized hornbill, at 45 to 58 cm in length with a 23 cm tail and pale or yellowish to orange bill. Males have a reddish bill with a yellow tip while the females have a plain yellow bill with black at the base of the lower mandible and a black stripe along the culmen. They show a broad whitish superciliary band above the eye running down to the neck. They fly with a strong flap and glide flight and hop around heavily on the outer branches of large fruiting trees. They has brown-grey wings, a white carpal patch and black primary flight feathers tipped with white. The Indian Grey Hornbill which is found mainly on the adjoining plains is easily told apart by its prominent casque and in flight by the white trailing edge to the entire wing. The Malabar Grey Hornbill has a grey back, and a cinnamon vent. The long tail is blackish with a white tip, and the underparts are grey with white streaks. The long curved bill has no casque. Immature birds have browner upperparts and a yellow bill. Young birds have a dull white or yellow iris.

Their loud calls are distinctive and include "hysterical cackling", "laughing" and "screeching" calls.

Distribution

The Malabar Grey Hornbill is a common resident breeder in the Western Ghats and associated hills of southern India. They are mainly found in dense forest habitats and the thinner dry forest habitat of the plains is typically occupied by the Indian Grey Hornbill. In the past the Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill was included with this species but is now considered distinct.

Behavior

This hornbill is found in small groups mainly in habitats with good tree cover and being large frugivores, they are important as seed dispersal agents for many species of fruit bearing forest trees. They also feed on small vertebrates and in captivity they will readily take meat.

Habitat

This hornbill is found in small groups mainly in habitats with good tree cover and being large frugivores, they are important as seed dispersal agents for many species of fruit bearing forest trees. They also feed on small vertebrates and in captivity they will readily take meat.

Reproduction

The breeding season is January to May. Being secondary cavity nesters , the find trees with large cavities. A study in the Anaimalai Hills showed that the species preferred nest sites that had large trees. The nest holes were usually found in large trees with hollows caused by heart-rot where a branch had broken off. Trees of the species ''Lagerstroemia microcarpa'', ''Terminalia bellirica'' and ''Terminalia crenulata'' were found to hold nearly 70% of all the nests in the Mudumalai area. The species is monogamous and the same nest sites are used by the pair year after year. The female incarcerates herself within the cavity by sealing its entrance with a cement made from her droppings. The female then lays three or sometimes four white eggs and begins a complete moult of her flight feathers. The entrance to the nest retains a narrow aperture through which the female voids excreta and receives food from the male. The male brings all the food needed for the female and the young. Berries, insects, small rodents and reptiles are included in the diet. Males tap the tree to beckon the female on arriving with food. Berries are regurgitated one at a time and shifted to the tip of the bill before being passed to the female.