Grey Hornbills at home in Gir landscape after over 60 years

Gandhinagar: After successfully achieving a milestone in the conservation of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard, with the second chick hatched through the "jump-start" technique surviving beyond the critical 40-day period, the Gujarat Forest Department has now recorded another conservation success with the recovery of the Indian Grey Hornbill population in the Gir forests through a pioneering species reintroduction programme.

The Indian Grey Hornbill — Gujarat's only hornbill species — was common in the Gir landscape until the mid-1930s, particularly during winter. However, its population began declining in the 1950s and 1960s, with the last documented sighting in Gir recorded in 1950. While the species continues to inhabit the forests of southern and central Gujarat, it had long been considered locally extinct in Gir, though the exact reasons for its disappearance remain unknown. Reintroduced into the Gir landscape in 2021, the hornbills have successfully established territories, adapted to their new habitat and produced offspring.

A recent research paper titled "Reintroduction of Indian Grey Hornbills in Gir, India: Insights into Ranging, Habitat Use, Nesting and Behavioural Patterns", published in the international peer-reviewed journal Birds, noted: "Indian Grey Hornbills were reintroduced in two phases. Twenty-eight birds were reintroduced in the first phase between 2021 and 2022, and 12 in the second phase during 2023. Five male birds were deployed with Platform Transmitter Terminal/Global System for Mobile Communications (PTT/GSM) transmitters during the first phase, and six more males were deployed with PTT transmitters during the second phase."


"Birds exhibited significant exploratory behaviour during the initial phase of reintroduction and later settled within smaller areas. Four pairs were found breeding in the area, and focal bird sampling was used to record their breeding behaviour. To establish a sustainable population, the reintroduced individuals must successfully form pair bonds and establish nesting sites. A noteworthy outcome of this study was the successful breeding observed in one hornbill pair during the initial year of reintroduction, with an increase to three breeding pairs in the subsequent year," the paper added.

Grey Hornbills reintroduced into the Gir landscape in 2021 have successfully established territories, adapted to their new habitat and produced offspring, marking a major milestone in restoring a species that had disappeared from the region in the mid-20th century, said Gujarat Forests and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia.

Mohan Ram, one of the authors of the study and Conservator of Forests, Junagadh Circle, said the project involved the release of 40 Indian Grey Hornbills in two phases. "Twenty-eight birds were released between 2021 and 2022, followed by another 12 birds in 2023. Eleven males were fitted with satellite transmitters, allowing scientists to track their movements, habitat use and breeding behaviour over several years."

"The birds were translocated from healthy hornbill populations in Gujarat's Aravalli forests after extensive habitat assessments confirmed that Gir now provides suitable ecological conditions," he added.

Satellite tracking revealed that the newly released hornbills initially travelled widely while exploring unfamiliar surroundings before settling into relatively small home ranges. During the first few months after release, the birds occupied an average home range of nearly 61 sq km, which later shrank to about 5.7 sq km once they became familiar with the landscape.

Similarly, their average daily movement declined from 4.3 km during the exploratory phase to 1.4 km after settlement, indicating successful adaptation to the Gir ecosystem.

Within the protected area, the birds showed the strongest preference for dry mixed deciduous forests, while those dispersing outside Gir frequently used orchards, water bodies and even areas close to human settlements.

Researchers also observed that the hornbills selected mature trees with large trunk girths for nesting, particularly Sterculia urens and Terminalia bellirica, highlighting the importance of conserving old-growth trees within the landscape.

"The successful breeding, shrinking home ranges and stable habitat use indicate that the reintroduction programme is progressing towards establishing a self-sustaining hornbill population," said Dr Jaipal Singh, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Gujarat.