Hornbills are mostly found in Uttara Kannada district. Silver oak trees, essential for the raising of hornbill chicks, are becoming rare in the forests of Dandeli.

The Kali Tiger Reserve (KTR) once had large numbers of oak trees, but in recent years, timbering and poor replanting have brought down their numbers.

But there is a hope. The foresters in Dandeli have taken up a massive tree planting drive this monsoon. Expert tree transplanters from Mandya and Ramanagaram are working on the planting.

“All the anti-poaching camps will have ficus and other trees which help birds survive. We are also working with private property owners and encouraging them to take up tree planting. Sightings suggest the number of hornbills has increased. We have regular sightings of great pied hornbills in the Dandeli forests,” K Srinivasulu, Director of Kali Tiger

Reserve, says.Dr B P Hiremath, Chief Veterinary Officer of the Veterinary Hospital in Haliyal, who conducted a study on endangered avifauna at the Kali reserve, observed, during the three years of his research, that the decrease in the number of oak trees had resulted in the hornbills migrating to other parts of the Kali forests.

Hornbills are large birds found only in the southern regions of the Western Ghats. The great pied hornbills are the largest among the four species, which can be seen in the Dandeli and Anashi forests.

“The patterns of nesting and upbringing of chicks are unique to hornbills. The male birds have to bring the juice from oak trees, which is becoming difficult to get. The hornbills are omnivorous in nature, but the chicks have to be fed oak juice when they are small. Hence the decrease of oak trees in the Ghats may affect the hornbill population in the coming years,” he says.

Hiremath also suggests the appointment of ecology experts as advisers to the Forest Department. “It is important we have a dedicated department for wildlife. Forest protection and wildlife conservation are different subjects. Though there is a direct relation between forest type and animal behaviour, foresters largely have little knowledge of animal biology,” he says.

Chief Conservator of Forests Vijay Mohan Raj blames human activity for the problem. “It is not just the tree species. Hornbills nest in undisturbed places. A riverine ecosystem is one of their favourite habitats and that is why we find huge numbers of hornbills along the Kali course. But in recent years, resorts and other properties are coming up along the river. They must be regulated in the interest of hornbills,” he told Express.

Unique nesting habit

Hornbills nest in large trees near the canopy. Females choose the natural hollow in the trees to lay eggs (4-6 at a time). When the females sit in the nest, the males close the nest from outside. For three months, the male feeds the female and the chicks. If a male birds dies, the entire family dies of starvation.