Great Indian horbill and its habitat

Majestic denizen of the forests of India

The great Indian hornbill in flight is a spectacle to behold. Unfortunately, this massive and elusive denizen of the forests of India, including in the Western Ghats, is under constant threat from poaching and human interference in its habitats.

The male Great Indian hornbill in glide mode. Photo: Shefiq Basheer Ahammed

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The hornbill at dusk. Photo: Shefiq Basheer Ahammed

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The hornbill, captivating in flight. Photo: Shefiq Basheer Ahammed

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In this spur-of-the-moment shot, the hornbill looks like a martial arts maestro warding off an attacker. Photo: Shefiq BasheerAhammed

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The hornbill’s wingbeats are loud and can be heard from a distance. Photo: Shefiq Basheer Ahammed

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Its yellow horn-shaped bill, with a yellow casque on top of it, are distinctive. Photo: Shefiq Basheer Ahammed

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The Nelliyampathy forest. The photographer has encountered a few male great Indian hornbills in the lush green hilly tracts of Valparai (Tamil Nadu) and Nelliampathy (Kerala), which are both hornbill habitats in the Western Ghats. Photo: Shefiq Basheer Ahammed

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Valparai. The photographer has encountered a few male great Indian hornbills in the lush green hilly tracts of Valparai (Tamil Nadu) and Nelliampathy (Kerala), which are both hornbill habitats in the Western Ghats. Photo: Shefiq BasheerAhammed

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A lion-tailed macque. Photo: Shefiq Basheer Ahammed ??

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In Valparai, a haven for lion-tailed macques. Photo: Shefiq Basheer Ahammed

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Lion-tailed macques in Valparai, Tamil Nadu. Photo: Shefiq Basheer Ahammed ??

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Hornbills need tall trees for nesting. Photo: Shefiq Basheer Ahammed

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