Source: TH
Context: A research team from Kerala won the prestigious Future Conservationist Award by the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) for their community-based conservation project aimed at protecting the Malabar Grey Hornbill.
About the Malabar Grey Hornbill:
- Scientific Name: Ocyceros griseus
- IUCN Status: Vulnerable
- Legal Protection: Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
- Geographic Range: Endemic to the Western Ghats and parts of the Nilgiris, Wayanad, and Anamalai Hills in Southern India
- Habitat:
- Found in evergreen forests, as well as human-modified habitats like coffee, rubber, and arecanut plantations.
- Prefers dense canopy cover and is sensitive to habitat fragmentation.
- Crepuscular: Active during early mornings and late afternoons.
- Key Features:
- It is a smallest Asian
- Lacks the prominent casque seen in other hornbills.
- Males have a reddish bill, females have a yellowish bill with black markings.
- Notable for its loud cackling, screeching, and laughing calls, making it highly vocal.
- Loyal to nest sites, often using the same cavity for decades.
About Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP):
- Initiated in
- It is a partnership of a global partnership of Fauna & Flora International, BirdLife International, and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
About Hornbill Conservation Initiative:
- The Tamil Nadu government recently launched the Hornbill Conservation Initiative to safeguard the habitats of four threatened hornbill species in the Western Ghats, including the Malabar Grey Hornbill.
- Target Species: Malabar Grey Hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Indian Grey Hornbill, and Great Hornbill.
- Aim of the Initiative:
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- To protect and restore nesting habitats of hornbills both inside and outside protected areas.
- To involve private landowners by recognising them as ‘Hornbill Protectors’.
- To establish a Centre of Excellence for hornbill conservation, research, and community engagement.
