Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis)
Resident- mature forests of Himalayas, NE India and W Ghats.
State Bird of Arunachal Pradesh & Kerala.
Huge & noisy canopy dwelling and fruit eating bird with a massive yellow beak & casque.
Their breeding behavior is unique. The female seals herself in a tree cavity, loses all her feathers & is flightless and helpless!
The devoted male provides food to his mate & nestlings through a narrow slit, making up to 70 trips
a day.
Endangered due to habitat loss and hunting.
