Successful reintroduction of Hornbill in Gujarat’s Gir forests

Gujarat’s Gir forests have achieved a major conservation milestone with the successful reintroduction and breeding of the Indian Grey Hornbill, a species that had disappeared from the region more than 60 years ago.

• According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), a scientific assessment has confirmed that the hornbills released under the species recovery programme have:
  • Successfully survived in the wild.
  • Established breeding territories.
  • Produced offspring.
• The reintroduction programme was implemented by the Gujarat Forest Department in collaboration with conservation partners and represents the first comprehensive evaluation of efforts to restore the locally extinct species in the Gir landscape.
• The achievement follows another recent conservation success in Gujarat, where the second Great Indian Bustard chick raised through the “jump-start” technique survived beyond the critical 40-day period.

About the Indian Grey Hornbill

• The Indian Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros birostris) is a medium-sized hornbill native to the Indian subcontinent.
• It is commonly found in open forests, woodlands, agricultural landscapes, urban parks and avenues.
• The species plays a vital ecological role as a long-distance seed disperser, helping regenerate forests by dispersing the seeds of fruit-bearing trees over large distances.
• Unlike many other hornbills, the Indian Grey Hornbill is well adapted to human-modified landscapes and is often seen in towns and cities.

Hornbills in India

• India is home to nine species of hornbills, including:
  • Great Hornbill – found mainly in the Western Ghats and Northeast India.
  • Malabar Pied Hornbill – found in the forests of Peninsular India.
  • Indian Grey Hornbill – widely distributed across much of the Indian subcontinent, including urban and semi-urban areas.
• Hornbills are regarded as keystone species because of their important role in forest regeneration and maintaining ecosystem health through seed dispersal.

Source: DD

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