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The Indian grey hornbill (Ocyceros birostris) is a common hornbill found on the Indian subcontinent. It is mostly arboreal and is commonly sighted in pairs. It has grey feathers all over the body with a light grey or dull white belly. The horn is black or dark grey with a casque extending to the point of curvature of the horn. It is one of the few hornbill species found in urban areas in many cities where they are able to make use of large trees in avenues.
Scientific Name : Ocyceros Birostris
Family : Bucerotidae
Order : Bucerotiformes
Class : Aves
Type : Hornbills
Conservation Status : Least concern (LC)
Size : 50 to 60 cm
Compare Size : Kite
Wingspan : NA
Weight : 370 to 400 g
Migratory : Resident
Sex Alike : Yes
Nesting Season : April to June
Other Names :
English : Common Grey Hornbill, Common Gray Hornbill, Indian Gray Hornbill
Hindi : धनेश, धनमर
Marathi : राखी धनेश, धनेश, राखी शिंगचोचा, मसपील
Habitat:
Dry wooded habitat, also found in urban areas in many cities where they are able to make use of large trees in avenues
Breeding:
1- 5 eggs
Feeding:
Mainly fruits but are also known to take molluscs, scorpions, insects, small birds
| Male & Female | |
|---|---|
| Upperparts | greyish-brown |
| Auriculars or Ear Patches or ear coverts | Dark-grey |
| Wing | Grey with some brown in it |
| Tail | Has a white tip and a dark subterminal band |
| Iris | Red |
| Eyes | Eyelids have eyelashes; bare skin around the eye is dark in the male, but sometimes pale reddish in females |
| Bill | Has a short and pointed casque; male has a larger casque on a dark bill; female has a more yellowish bill with black on the basal half and on the casque |
| Culmen | Yellowish in males |
| Lower mandible | Yellowish in males |
| Juvenile | |
|---|---|
| Note : juveniles lack the casque, and the bare skin around the eye is dull orange |
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| 01 Feb 2019 | Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Rajasthan |
