Grey Hornbills Breed in Gir After 60 Years, Marking Major Gujarat Conservation Success

GANDHINAGAR : The Indian Grey Hornbill has made a remarkable comeback in Gujarat’s Gir forests after disappearing more than six decades ago. The birds are not only surviving in their restored habitat but have also started breeding in the wild, marking a major milestone in India’s wildlife conservation efforts.

The achievement comes soon after Gujarat celebrated another conservation success with the survival of the second Great Indian Bustard chick hatched through the innovative ‘jump-start’ technique. Together, these milestones highlight the state’s growing success in protecting endangered and locally extinct species.

A new scientific study published in the international peer-reviewed journal Birds confirms that the Grey Hornbill reintroduction programme has exceeded expectations. The project was led by the Gujarat Forest Department along with conservation partners.

Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia said, “Grey Hornbills reintroduced into the Gir landscape have successfully established territories, adapted to their new habitat, and produced offspring. This is a major milestone in restoring a species that disappeared from Gir during the 1950s and 1960s.”

Minister of State for Forests and Environment Pravin Mali said, “The Gujarat model has demonstrated how science-based conservation and habitat protection can successfully restore lost wildlife. We are proud of this achievement.”

The project involved the release of 40 Indian Grey Hornbills 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 movement, habitat use and breeding behaviour.

Mohan Ram, Conservator of Forests and one of the study’s authors, said, “The birds were brought from healthy hornbill populations in Gujarat’s Aravalli forests after detailed habitat assessments confirmed that Gir offered suitable ecological conditions.”

The study found that one pair successfully bred during the first year after release. Three more breeding pairs nested during the second year, providing strong evidence that the population is becoming self-sustaining.

Principal Secretary for Forests and Environment Vinod Rao said, “The Indian Grey Hornbill is an important long-distance seed disperser. Its return will strengthen natural forest regeneration by spreading seeds of fruit-bearing trees across the landscape.”

Researchers observed that newly released hornbills initially explored large areas before settling into permanent territories. During the first few months, each bird used an average home range of about 61 square kilometres. This later reduced to just 5.7 square kilometres, showing that the birds had successfully adapted to their surroundings.

Their average daily travel also dropped from 4.3 kilometres during the exploration phase to 1.4 kilometres after settlement.

The study also revealed that the hornbills preferred Gir’s mature dry mixed deciduous and teak forests. They selected large, old trees such as Sterculia urens and Terminalia bellirica for nesting. The birds mainly fed their chicks fruits from banyan, peepal, karamda and dhraman trees, along with insects.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden Dr Jaipal Singh said, “The successful breeding, stable habitat use and shrinking home ranges indicate that the programme is moving towards establishing a self-sustaining hornbill population. The Gir project can become a model for future bird reintroduction programmes across India.”