Hornbill Conservation Initiative Launched in Tamil Nadu to Combat Habitat Loss

In the early 2000s, when research on hornbills in the Western Ghats had just begun in South India, much of the blame for the dwindling numbers was placed on poaching by tribal communities. Some published research papers also said the same. However, later research showed that the real reason for the decline was the loss of the forest itself. “Destruction of large trees, cavities of which hornbills need for nesting caused the decline,” says Amitha Bachan K H, founder of the Western Ghats Hornbill Foundation. “These trees were not felled by tribes but for policy reasons, and by the timber industry. The British also felled trees for teak plantations, and several dams came up in the areas.” Research and continuous monitoring over 15 years proved that the birds need at least 250 hectares of