Hornbills

The Hornbills live in the forests of South East Asia and Africa. There are around 40 species of hornbill.
The Hornbills requires large areas of intact forest to survive, so the status of the hornbill population is in many ways a key indicator of the overall health of the tropical forest.
Hornbills belong to the family Bucerotidae are a group of birds whose bill is shaped like a cow's horn and there is a casque on the upper bill. Both the English and scientific names is based on the shape of the bill, meaning of Buceros is cow horn in Greek. These birds range in length from two to five feet. Ground-Hornbills are huge prehistoric appearing birds of open grasslands and savanna in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Hornbills have undergone special adaptations to survive and which also set them apart from other species of birds. They have long flattened eyelashes. Long broad wings with short tails; the most unique feature of Hornbills is the casque on their large bill. The bill is filled with a cellular tissue as opposed to being solid. It is filled with many air chambers and is very useful for reaching fruit on distant branches. They have two kidneys all other birds have three. The second and third toes are also partly fused (syndactyly), which aid them to scramble through branches to find fruits.
Another unique feature of hornbills is the sealing of nest. Except for the two large ground hornbill species of Africa, all hornbills seal their nests.

Hornbills are omnivorous, eating mostly fruits, however the male is known to feed the brooding female and the chicks with animals like reptiles, frogs insects etc.

Hornbills are social birds congregating at feeding and bathing sites. They form life-long monogamous pairs. They find hollows of trees to nest and may return to the same site year after year to nest. After laying up to three eggs the female seals herself in the chamber with mud and dung, leaving only a small hole through which the male passes her food. For 41/2 months she is completely dependant on the male for the survival of the chicks and herself. During this period she undergoes molting, the feathers are used to plaster the inside of the chamber. She emerges with new set of feathers and quickly seals the chamber again and joins the male to feed the chicks.

Unfortunately, the Hornbill population has decreased severely and many species are now endangered following the destruction of their habitats because of the pet trade. The locals steal the hornbill babies for pet trade, the babies yield high price. The practice is wide spread and is effecting the hornbill population. The Hornbill Research Foundation, in existence since 1978, is trying to stop hornbill smuggling by turning hunters into hornbill protectors. To do this, the Foundation has made local people part of the hornbill conservation program.