TN to begin Hornbill survey by year-end

CHENNAI: The Forest Department is set to begin a comprehensive population survey as part of the government’s Hornbill Conservation Initiative that was launched in March 2026.

Scheduled to begin by the end of December, the first phase of the survey will cover all the ranges of the three tiger reserves in the state - Anamalai, Srivilliputhur-Megamalai, and Kalakkad-Mundanthurai, according to the officials. The exercise is expected to be wrapped up by the end of March 2026 or the first week of April 2026. The Karamadai and Mettupalayam forest ranges under the Coimbatore forest division will be included. These areas have been identified as key zones of hornbill presence based on past observations and habitat suitability.

The primary objective of the survey is to estimate the population size and density of hornbills and to build a scientific baseline for long-term conservation planning. The timing of the assessment has been aligned with the hornbill breeding season, when detection rates are higher. While the breeding season of most species ends by April, the Great Hornbill’s nesting period may extend until May. In the second phase, similar surveys will be carried out in other forest divisions across Tamil Nadu.

The Great Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Indian Grey Hornbill, and Malabar Pied Hornbill are the four hornbill species found in the identified regions. The field survey will be conducted jointly by Forest department staff, biologists and researchers using the line transect method, covering several kilometres each day within selected hornbill habitats.

Direct sightings and identification through calls will be used to record data. As part of capacity building, the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) scientists recently trained forest personnel at Attakatty near Valparai. The training focused on hornbill identification, recognising nesting sites and understanding their feeding ecology.

An NCF scientist said similar survey methodologies had previously produced reliable results in hornbill habitats within the Anamalai Tiger Reserve. Hornbills are long-lived birds, with smaller grey hornbills surviving up to 15-16 years, while the Great Hornbill can live for nearly two decades. Entirely frugivorous, they feed on fruits from more than 100 tree species in the Western Ghats.

Often described as “feathered foresters”, hornbills play a vital role in seed dispersal and forest regeneration. Their dependence on large hollow-bearing trees for nesting has also made the protection of mature forests a key focus of the state’s conservation initiative.