NESTING PREFERENCE AND NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS OF FOOD ITEMS OF MALABAR GREY HORNBILL IN WAYANAD, KERALA
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Date
2022-02-25
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COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES POOKODE, WAYANAD
Abstract
Malabar Grey Hornbills are mostly found in open tall evergreen
forests, near forest roads, edges and to the interiors. The Malabar Grey Hornbill
(Ocyceros griseus) shows sexual dimorphism: the male is larger with a bigger bill
compared to the female which has a smaller bill. The bright orange bill and the
golden-brown eyes of the male hornbill are distinctive from the female which
possess pale coloured bill and dark brown eyes. This monogamous species exhibits
high nest fidelity i.e., nesting in the same cavity every year continuously. They also
exhibit biparental caring. Female Malabar Grey Hornbills seal themselves inside
the nest cavity for nesting and incubation of the eggs for three months. Malabar
Grey Hornbills choose trees with specific heights and GBH for nesting. During the
nesting period, they feed various nutrient-rich fruits to the nest inmates.
The present study was carried out to study the nest tree preference of
Malabar Grey Hornbills in Wayanad. And to look into the nutritional aspects of the
fruits delivered to the nest inmates by the male hornbill. The study was conducted
in both Moist deciduous habitats and plantations in Wayanad. Most of the study
areas were in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and South Wayanad division. The nest trees of Malabar Grey Hornbills were found along forest trails and
buffer areas in Wayanad. Twelve tree species were selected by the Malabar Grey
Hornbills and our study found 27 nests. The average nest height (23.7m) and
average GBH (232.6cm) of the nest trees were analysed and found that Malabar
Grey Hornbills prefer nest trees of a specific height range. The nest tree analysis
indicated the major nest trees of Malabar Grey Hornbills, are Lagerstomia
microcarpa in moist deciduous parts of the forest and Grevillea robusta in
plantations. Most of the nest trees were live trees other than one dead stump in the
tree samples. The nest tree characters and habitat showed a dominant influence in
the nesting preference of the Malabar Grey Hornbills. Most of the nests were oriented towards the eastward direction. Nutritional aspects of the fruits consumed
by the hornbills during the nesting period were analysed and found that Malabar
Grey Hornbills preferred fruits with higher levels of crude protein and inorganic
matters.
Description
Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement
for the Degree of
Master of Science in Wildlife Studies