Malabar Hornbill

The Malabar hornbill(Anthracoceros coronatus) is a large representative of the hornbill family (Bucerotidae) with a total length of around 65 cm. It is found in India and Sri Lanka.
Its plumage is predominantly black in colour, with only the belly, wings and tail edges being white. The very large yellow beak with a huge bulge on the upper beak is striking.
The habitat of the Malabar Hornbill is rainforests and deciduous forests, but also more open landscapes such as clearings and plantations. Its diet is largely vegetarian, consisting of fruits and juicy leaves. It supplements its diet with various small animals, which it finds mainly on trees. These include insects and other arthropods, but also small reptiles, birds and mammals.
The breeding season is between March and September, during the rainy season. A natural tree cavity, at a height of between 3 and 15 metres, serves as a nest. This is sealed by the female with a mixture of earth, faeces and fruit residues so that only a small opening remains through which the male can feed the female and the later young. The nest consists of 2 to 4 white eggs which are incubated for about 30 days. The young are fed for a very long time, 49 days, until they fledge.
Due to its relatively large distribution area, the Malabar Hornbill is not yet threatened with extinction. However, its population is categorised as near-threatened, with the situation in western India and Sri Lanka being the most critical. The population there has been declining sharply for years due to habitat destruction.