Malabar Grey Hornbill

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The Malabar Grey Hornbill, Ocyceros griseus, is a hornbill. Hornbills are a family of tropical near-passerine birds found in the Old World.

The Malabar Grey Hornbill is a common resident breeder in south west India.

This is a gregarious bird mainly of forest habitats. The female lays up to four white eggs in a tree hole, which is blocked off during incubation with a cement made of mud, droppings and fruit pulp. There is only one narrow aperture, just big enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks.

The Malabar Grey Hornbill is a large bird, at 45cm in length. It has brown-grey wings, with black primary flight feathers, a grey back, and a whitish crown. The long tail is blackish with a white tip, and the underparts are white. The long curved bill has no casque.

Sexes are similar, but the male has an orange bill, whereas the female's is smaller and yellow. Immature birds have browner upperparts and a yellow bill.

This hornbill is largely arboreal and feeds mostly on figs, though it also eats small rodents, reptiles and insects. The flight is slow and powerful.

References

• BirdLife International (2004). [Ocyceros griseus]. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• Birds of India by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp, ISBN 0-691-04910-6

 

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