After 6 Decades of Disappearance Gir's Grey Hornbill Shows Signs of Survival and Breeding

More than 60 years after the Indian Grey Hornbill disappeared from Gujarat’s Gir forests, a wildlife reintroduction programme has shown encouraging signs of success, with the birds not only surviving but also breeding in the wild, according to a new scientific study.

The findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal Birds in a paper titled “Reintroduction of Indian Grey Hornbills in Gir, India: Insights into Ranging, Habitat Use, Nesting and Behavioural Patterns”, provide the first comprehensive assessment of the species recovery programme led by the Gujarat Forest Department and its conservation partners.

Forty hornbills released in Gir in two phases

The project involved the release of 40 Indian Grey Hornbills into the Gir landscape in two phases. Twenty-eight birds were released between 2021 and 2022, followed by 12 more in 2023.

Eleven male hornbills were fitted with satellite transmitters to monitor their movements, habitat use and breeding behaviour over several years. The birds were translocated from healthy hornbill populations in Gujarat’s Aravalli forests after habitat assessments confirmed that Gir offered suitable ecological conditions.

Historical records suggest that the Indian Grey Hornbill disappeared from Gir between the 1950s and 1960s, primarily due to hunting rather than habitat degradation.

Successful breeding recorded in the wild

According to the study, one pair of hornbills successfully bred during the first year after release, while three additional breeding pairs nested in the second year, indicating that the restored population is beginning to establish itself naturally.

Researchers said the Indian Grey Hornbill plays a vital ecological role as a long-distance seed disperser, helping regenerate forests by transporting the seeds of fruit-bearing trees across large areas.

Birds explored widely before settling

Satellite tracking showed that the newly released hornbills initially travelled long distances while exploring unfamiliar surroundings before establishing permanent territories.

During the first few months after release, the birds occupied an average home range of nearly 61 square kilometres. Once settled, this shrank to about 5.7 square kilometres.

Their average daily movement also declined from 4.3 kilometres during the exploratory phase to 1.4 kilometres after settlement, suggesting successful adaptation to the Gir ecosystem.

Hornbills prefer mature forests

The study found that hornbills preferred Gir’s dry mixed deciduous and teak forests over other habitat types.

Within the protected area, the birds showed the strongest preference for dry mixed deciduous forests, while those moving outside Gir frequently used orchards, water bodies and areas close to human settlements.

Researchers also observed that hornbills selected mature trees with large trunk girths for nesting, particularly Sterculia urens and Terminalia bellirica, underscoring the importance of conserving old-growth trees.

Return of a key seed disperser

Researchers observed the birds feeding their chicks mainly on the fruits of banyan, peepal, karamda and dhraman trees, along with insects and other invertebrates.

The study concludes that successful breeding, shrinking home ranges and stable habitat use indicate that the reintroduction programme is progressing towards establishing a self-sustaining Grey Hornbill population in Gir.

Researchers added that the Gir project could serve as a model for future bird reintroduction programmes in India, particularly for species that have become locally extinct despite suitable habitats remaining available.