Mother Imprisons Herself!

AS night falls in the jungle, the harsh raucous cries of the Great Indian Hornbill can be heard calling out to its mate or foraging for food.

The Great Indian Hornbill is a big bird. It measures 4ft (1.3m). However, it is the smallest of the hornbill species. The noisy bird makes a loud sound with its wings as it flies.

The most striking feature of the bird is its enormous bill, over which is a decorative casque. Both bill and casque are a bright yellow and although they look unwieldy and top-heavy, they are actually light. The bird is often captured for its casque, which is used to carve ornaments.

A skilful eater, the hornbill uses its bill to peel a fruit. It is basically a fruit-eater, but it also eats insects, small animals and snakes.

When the female is ready to lay her eggs, she searches for a large tree with a nice, big cavity. She gets into the hole and seals the entrance with her droppings and pellets of clay brought by the male. She leaves a narrow opening in the wall so that the male can feed her during her confinement, which may last a hundred days. The female does not feel imprisoned during her long stay because this is also the time when she moults her flight feathers.

The hornbill’s nest is always clean. She throws out fruit skins and stones through the opening in the wall, and scavenging insects eat up the remaining refuse.

The female remains inside the nest till her fledgelings are ready to fly. Then she and her chicks break open the sealed wall and emerge.

The Great Indian Hornbill is found in the forests of India, Indochina and Sumatra island in Indonesia.