The Great Hornbill, The state bird of Kerala
The state bird of Kerala ,The Great Hornbill, Buceros
bicornis also known as Greater Indian Hornbill, is the largest member of the
hornbill family. It is found in the evergreen forest of Kerala alsothey are
distributed in a range from western India , through Indochina , south of Malaya
and through Sumatra . These hornbills are found on sea level up to 5000 feet
(1524m) above ground. Great Hornbills can grow to a length of 4.5 feet (1.4m).
The body is covered with black feathers and the wing tips have a ban of white
feathers. The tail, sometimes reaching up to 3 feet (7.6cm), is white with bans
of black feathers across. The neck of this bird is surrounded with circle of
fur. The bill is yellow and curved downward. One distinct mark of the hornbills
is their bright yellow and black casque on top of its massive bill, a helmet
like head and is solid ivory. The casque is hollow with little functions
although they are believed to be the result of sexual selection. Male hornbills
have been known to indulge in aerial casque butting flights. Females are
smaller than males and have blue instead of red eyes. They usually have short
legs, but have broad feet.
Indian hornbills are mainly fruit eaters but also actively
hunt and eat insects, lizards, snakes and even nestling birds. Great Indian
Hornbills like to eat various types of berries. Hornbills swallow most of their
food whole instead of breaking it down first. After they consume the food,
they'll regurgitate what they cannot digest such as bones, and pits.
Female hornbills build nests in hollows of large tree trunks
and the opening is sealed with feces, wood bark, and dirt. She remains
imprisoned in her nest until the chicks are semi-developed relying on the male
to bring her food. During this period the female undergoes a complete moult.
The clutch consists of one or two eggs she incubates for 38-40 days.
Indian hornbills are rare and threatened with extinction.
These birds are hunted in India for food and medicine. In Kerala the main
threat is the destruction of their habitat. Due to ongoing habitat lost and
hunting in some areas, the Great Hornbill is evaluated as Near Threatened on
the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.