Meera Bhardwaj:
Ganeshgudi, Karnataka is considered the “prime refuge” for the Malabar Pied Hornbill species. However, even here, this “near threatened species” is facing decline due to habitat loss, forest encroachment and fragmentation.
In fact, the Dandeli-Ganeshgudi area in Karnataka, India is regarded as a “key region” for its conservation.
Apart from this, the Hornbill Conservation Reserve at Ganeshgudi is also facing significant threats from unregulated adventure sports activities and unsustainable tourism activities in the Kali River.
The ability for the hornbills to find food resources and suitable nesting sites in this region has become tougher and action needs to be taken before it is too late.
DECREASE IN SIGHTINGS
With activists and birders citing the decrease in sightings of hornbills in Dandeli, I decided to stay put in Ganeshgudi and looked eagerly for my first sighting of them. Looking for fig trees in the evergreen and moist deciduous forests of Western Ghats, I was hoping for a glimpse of this near threatened species.
To my delight, I could spot a few pairs of Malabar Pied Hornbills in the Dandeli Wildlife Range, Joida taluk, Uttar Kannada district.
The Dandeli Timber Depot which is supposed to host all species of hornbills was a big disappointment.
Despite spending more than three and a half hours at the Timber Depot, I couldn’t see a single hornbill species between 6.30 to 10 am amidst the silent cool winds blowing.
Despite the presence of many fruit bearing trees near the forest department office, unfortunately, none of the birds could be seen. Maybe, the season was not right and the weather was chilly and dense fog around, the hornbills could not be seen. But local birders said there has been a decrease in their numbers in the last few years.
A LARGE, WHITE & BLACK BIRD
Feeding on the fruits of fig trees continuously at Ganeshgudi, I could see the Malabar Pied Hornbills in all their glory from 7 am till 12 noon with their distinctive getup. Being a large bird – it could be spotted very easily even from a long distance of 600-700 metres.
A black and white bird with its unique yellow bill and a distinctive, large yellow and black casque, the Malabar Pied Hornbills stood out in the dense foliage, fruit trees.
With able guidance from Pavan Patil, Naturalist who took me to the right spot – I could spot and photograph a few couples flitting from one branch to another and feeding on fig fruits.
When I visited this place, it was February 24-28, this year and the breeding season was yet to commence.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Learning how to differentiate the male and female from Pavan Patil, I could see the differentiating features in a female which has white orbital skin around its eyes while the male has bright red eyes with dark blue or blue-black bare skin around their eyes.
Their plumage is predominantly black while their belly is bright white and the throat too is white. With a white belly and white trailing on its tail, it was clearly visible from a distance.
HORNBILL CONSERVATION RESERVE
The Malabar Pied Hornbills are frequent visitors to the forests around the Kali River. Further, across this river, is the Hornbill Conservation Reserve spread over an area of 52.5 square kilometres. However, the rampant rafting activity needs to be regulated.
The Hornbill Conservation Reserve was notified on May 31st, 2011 to protect the “flagship species” of the Western Ghats that is the hornbills.
The hornbills are resident birds here and hundred roosts were recorded here in 2011. But now nobody seems to be bothered as tourism has gained importance. And one could see many groups of noisy youngsters indulging and dancing and doing rafting from 4-5 levels – almost touching the Hornbill Conservation Reserve, thereby, disturbing the hornbills to no end.
The Hornbill Conservation Reserve is an important tiger corridor connecting tiger habitats in Karnataka, Goa, and Southern Maharashtra.
PLETHORA OF FRUIT TREES
The abundance of fruit trees all along the Kali River attracts the hornbills but loud tourist activity in the river seems to have disturbed the birds and I couldn’t see them even during dusk. But due to expanding adventure sports activities on the Kali River, I could not spot that many birds unless one enters the forest trail from Hornbill River Resort at Ganeshgudi.
At the Hornbill River Resort, Ganeshgudi – situated on the banks of Kali River, one can sight flocks of Malabar Pied Hornbills in fig trees as Umesh (owner and naturalist) had assured. Right from morning hours, the loud calls of the Malabar Pied Hornbills can be heard at a distance.
I found them either in pairs or flocks at two fig trees inside the Resort and both in the morning and at dusk, they made enough noise to wake up the dead at this communal roosting site.
FARMERS OF THE FOREST
Known as the “farmers of the forest” the Malabar Pied hornbills are known for dispersing seeds of various fruits over a large area. During the breeding season, the male hornbills can be seen foraging and collecting fruits for its partner and nurturing their young ones.
Apart from this, the Malabar Pied Hornbills wake you up in the morning for their loud calls that has a distinctive sound of clucking and braying.
NEED FOR MORE PROTECTION
Inhabiting evergreen and deciduous forests, even forest edges and also tall woodlands, the Malabar Pied Hornbills are omnivorous feeding on amphibians, reptiles, insects, small birds & mammals but their favourite food is feeding on figs and other fruit trees.
Local birders and activists at Dandeli say the decline in their numbers is worry some and there is an urgent need to curb some activities especially tourism and rafting. If tourism is not regulated, the flagship species of Western Ghats may have to bow down to unrestrained human activities.
(PHOTO CREDIT: ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY MEERA BHARDWAJ AT GANESHGUDI, UTTAR KANNADA DISTRICT, KARNATAKA)