Evergreen Hornbills
Q. How many species of
hornbills are found in India and what are the concerns about them?
Ans. Nine
species of these large birds are found in India, mainly in the Northeast and
the Western ghats;
Narcondam island in the
Andamans hosts the critically endangered Narcondam hornbill. Accelerating
habitat loss threatens its future.
It is protected at the
highest level under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act. However, hunting
has depleted populations.
In the Western Ghats, the
proposed hydroelectric project at Athirapilly across the Chalakudy River will
destroy precious landscape sheltering the species, and three others — the
Malabar pied, the Malabar grey, and Indian grey hornbills. This area is part of
the Athirapilly-Vazhachal-Chalakudy riverine region, a biodiversity hotspot.
The abundance of hornbill
species depends heavily on the availability of suitable fruit and nesting
trees.
Hornbill conservation must
proceed along the twin paths of weaning away tribal hunters. Through the
provision of substitutes, and nursing forest fragments back to health using
science.
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