Q. In which of the following regions of India are you most likely to come across the ‘Great Indian Hornbill’ in its natural habitat?

  • Sand deserts of northwest India
  • Higher Himalayas of Jammu and Kashmir
  • Salt marshes of western Gujarat
  • Western Ghats

Answer: (d) Western Ghats

Notes:

  • Great Indian hornbills are found in the forests of Nepal, India, Mainland Southeast Asia, and Sumatra.
  • Great Indian hornbill is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
  • They are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of India.
  • Great Hornbills are found in three separate areas in South Asia;
    • The Western Ghats,
    • The Himalayan foothills in Uttaranchal to south Nepal
    • Bhutan and northeast India.
  • They are also found in Myanmar, islands in the Mergui archipelago, southern China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, and in Sumatra, Indonesia.
  • They are also found in primary evergreen and moist deciduous forests, mainly in lowland forests, but they can be found up to 2,000 meters in some areas.
  • The Great Hornbill is the state bird of Kerala and Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Hornbill Festival is also celebrated between the 1st to 10th December every year in Nagaland.
  • In Nagaland Hornbill is a respected bird that finds mention in the tribe’s folklore.
Great Indian hornbills