For a bird absent from Gujarat for more than 50 years, the Indian grey hornbill is making itself at home again.
Indian grey hornbills have now successfully bred in Gujarat state for the fourth year in a row after a reintroduction program began in 2021. In Gir National Park, a 540 square mile reserve in west India, a nesting grey hornbill pair had not been seen since the 1960s.
The birds now number 40 and counting, and nesting pairs have been recorded raising chicks in each of the four years since the program began.
The Indian grey hornbill is listed as a species of “Least Concern” by the IUCN, but its habitat requirements make it vulnerable to displacement. The bird needs large, mature, native trees old enough to form hollows big enough for the 24-inch-long bird to nest inside. It also needs an abundant nearby supply of fruit.
Indian conservationists describe the Indian grey hornbill as one of the sub-continent’s indicator species. Its flourishing is tied to a flourishing landscape, and its decline can signal early habitat decline that may soon affect other species.
To prepare for the birds’ return, areas inside Gir underwent years of habitat restoration and careful protection. The Better India reports the strategy has now reached the point where the population can breed in a self-sustaining manner, without future reintroductions required to support the animals.
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