Indian Grey Hornbill

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At nest at Wagah Border in Amritsar District of Punjab, India.

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Coraciiformes
Family:	Bucerotidae
Genus:	Ocyceros
Species:	O. birostris

Binomial name

Ocyceros birostris
(Scopoli, 1786)

The Indian Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros birostris) is a common hornbill on the Indian subcontinent. It is mostly arboreal and is commonly sighted in pairs. They have grey feathers all over the body with a light grey or dull white belly. The horn is black or dark grey with a casque extending up to the point of curvature in the horn.

Indian Grey Hornbills usually form their nest in tree holes. A peculiar characteristic of this bird is that the female stays inside the nest and the male seals the nest hole leaving only a small hole for feeding the female. In this way they safeguard the eggs and hatchlings. While inside the nest, the female will pluck out all her feathers and throw them outside the nest so that it can maintain the required space along with the growing chicks. The regrowth of the feathers in the female coincides with the maturity of the chicks at which point the nest is broken open.

These birds usually feeds on fruits including a variety of figs (Ficus spp.) and occasionally on small insects, lizards, small snakes etc.

[edit] References

BirdLife International (2004). Ocyceros birostris. 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