Annamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu will host the country’s first Centre of Excellence for Hornbill Conservation, dedicated to the long-term study and conservation of the threatened species, the state government recently announced.
All hornbills – with the exception of the oriental pied hornbill – are listed under the first schedule of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, granting them the highest level of protections under the law. However, despite this, hornbills are increasingly threatened by deforestation and habitat fragmentation. Populations of some hornbills, such as the Malabar grey hornbill, are reported to be on the decline in the Western Ghats.
India is home to nine species of hornbills, but the Centre of Excellence will focus its activities on the four that are endemic to the Western Ghats: the great hornbill (Buceros bicornis), Malabar grey hornbill (Ocyceros griseus), the Malabar pied hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus), and the Indian grey hornbill (Ocyceros birostris). The great hornbill and Malabar grey hornbill are categorised as vulnerable, while the Malabar pied hornbill is near threatened as per IUCN.
With an outlay of ₹1 crore (₹10 million), the Centre will monitor hornbill populations, study their breeding habits, map their nesting sites and food sources, and track their movements using GPS or satellite telemetry technologies. The Centre will also work on habitat restoration, nest protection, staff and stakeholder capacity building, and on developing outreach programmes.
“Hornbills play a vital ecological role as seed dispersers, aiding the regeneration of tropical forests. However, these keystone species face growing threats due to habitat degradation, deforestation, and climate change. Recognising the urgency for targeted conservation, Tamil Nadu is establishing a dedicated Centre to address these challenges,” Supriya Sahu, an additional chief secretary in the state’s environment department, said in a statement.
As per a press release issued by the Tamil Nadu government, the Centre will collaborate with leading conservation organisations – such as Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation, and the Wildlife Institute of India – to implement various protection measures. The Centre will also consult with the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Hornbill Specialist Group.
Annamalai Tiger Reserve was selected for its “ecological richness and existing conservation infrastructure,” the press release says. The reserve falls in the Anamalai–Parambikulam–Vazhachal stretch of the state, identified as an important hornbill conservation site.
“We have managed to carry out research for over two decades with the permission and local support of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. We do hope this will not only increase awareness about hornbills, but also that the importance of scientific research will be recognised by the forest department and encouraged with permission and support. Not just in Annamalai Tiger Reserve, but the rest of Tamil Nadu as well,” said Divya Muddappa, a scientist with NCF.
Banner image: Malabar grey hornbill. Image by Kip Lee via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0).
