Indian grey hornbill
Indian grey hornbill | |
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A male bird feeding the female at a nest in Punjab, and a recording made in Maharashtra, both in India | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Bucerotiformes |
Family: | Bucerotidae |
Genus: | Ocyceros |
Species: | O. birostris
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Binomial name | |
Ocyceros birostris (Scopoli, 1786)
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Synonyms | |
Lophoceros birostris |
The Indian gray hornbill (Ocyceros birostris) is a common
Description
The Indian grey hornbill is a medium-sized hornbill, measuring around 61 cm (24 in) in length.[3] The upper parts are greyish brown and there is a slight trace of a pale supercilium. The ear coverts are darker. The flight feathers of the wing are dark brown with a whitish tip. The tail has a white tip and a dark subterminal band. They have a red iris and the eyelids have eyelashes. The casque is short and pointed.[4]
The male has a larger casque on a dark bill, and the
Distribution
The species is found mainly on the plains up to about 2,000 ft (610 m). It is found from the foothills of the Himalayas southwards, bounded to the west by the Indus system and to the east by the Ganges Delta. It may make local movements in the drier western region. It is found even in cities that have old avenue trees.[6] The species has been observed, usually in pairs, in Dharamsala town (Himachal Pradesh) at about 1500 to 1600 masl during summer and in the rainy season (May to September, 2017). and does not overlap much with the Malabar grey hornbill of the Western Ghats.[4][9]
Behaviour and ecology
The call is a squealing call somewhat like that of a black kite. The flight is heavy and involves flapping interspersed with glides. They are found in pairs or small groups.[4]
The nesting season is April to June and the clutch varies from one to five very symmetrical white eggs. Indian grey hornbills usually nest in tree hollows on tall trees. An existing hollow may be excavated further to suit. The female enters the nest hollow and seals the nest hole, leaving only a small vertical slit through which the male feeds her. The nest entrance is sealed by the female using its excreta and mud-pellets supplied by the male.
A study at a nest near
They are almost completely arboreal, but very rarely descend to the ground to pick up fallen fruits, to dust bathe,[18] or to pick up mud pellets to seal the nest cavity during the nesting period.[19] They indulge in various social activities, including bill-grappling and aerial jousting.[20]
Gallery
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Individual with a shorter casque, either a juvenile or female
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At Uttarakhand, India
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Indian Grey Hornbill in Pune. Note the casque, and the distinctive tail feathers.
References
- . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ NiF Team. Things to Know About Hornbills. Nature inFocus.
- ^ a b Ali, S.; S. D. Ripley (1983). Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan. Volume 4 (2nd ed.). New Delhi: Oxford University Press. pp. 130–131.
- ^ ISBN 1-4067-4576-6.
- ^ Pittie, A. (2003). "A Note on the Circumorbital Skin Colour of Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 100 (1): 141–142.
- ^ a b Rasmussen PC; JC Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Volume 2. Smithsonian Institution & Lynx Edicions. pp. 272–273.
- ^ Baker, ECS. Fauna of British India. Birds. Volume 4 (2nd ed.). London: Taylor and Francis. pp. 301–302.
- ^ Kasambe, R.; Charde, P.; Tarar, J. L. & Pimplapure. A. (2012). "Sub-orbital skin- and eye colour of young Indian Grey Hornbills Ocyceros birostris in Central India". Indian Birds. 7 (6): 165.
- ^ Amladi, SR; Daniel, JC (1973). "Occurrence of the Common Grey Hornbill (Tockus birostris) in Bombay city". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 70 (2): 378–380.
- ^ Blanford, WT (1895). Fauna of British India. Birds Volume 3. Taylor and Francis, London. p. 141.
- ^ Hall, Eleanor Frances (1918). "Notes on the nidification of the Common Grey Hornbill (Lophoceros birostris)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 25 (3): 503–505.
- ^ Charde, Praveen; Kasambe, Raju; Pimplapure, Anil; Tarar, Jeevan L (2011). "NEST SANITATION IN INDIAN GREY HORNBILL IN CENTRAL INDIA". The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology (24): 65–67.
- ^ Finlay, JD (1929). "The nesting habits of the Northern Grey Hornbill Lophoceros birostris". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 33 (2): 444–445.
- ^ Hume, AO (1889). The nests and eggs of Indian bird volume 3. R H Porter, London. pp. 74–76.
- ^ Newnham, A (1911). "Hornbills devouring young Paroquets". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 21 (1): 263–264.
- ^ Patil, Neelam; Chaturvedi, Naresh; Hegde, Vithoba (1997). "Food of Common Grey Hornbill Tockus birostris (Scopoli)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 94 (2): 408–411.
- ^ Neelakantan, KK (1953). "Common Grey Hornbill (Tockus birostris) eating fruits of the Yellow Oleander (Thevetia neriifolia)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 51 (3): 738.
- ^ Santharam, V (1990). "Common Grey Hornbill Tockus birostris (Scopoli) dust bathing". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 87 (2): 300–301.
- ^ Charde, P.; Kasambe, R. & Tarar, J.L. (2011). "Breeding behaviour of Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris in Central India" (PDF). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 24: 59–64. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-21. Retrieved 2012-01-04.
- S2CID 1691573.