The Malabar Grey Hornbill (Male) - a photo on Flickriver

            The Malabar Grey Hornbill  (Male)
- Try Viewing it in Full Screen
@ Burliyar, Lower Slopes, Nilgiris Dist
Tamil Nadu, India
Jan 2022

Sony a7riv with Sony SAL 200-600G Lens

Clicked this Male Malabar Grey Hornbill  in the Lower Slopes of the Nilgiris at Burliyar... It is a hornbill endemic to the Western Ghats and associated hills of Southern India, in evergreen forests between 500 m and 900 m (sporadically to 1,500 m) elevation. They have a large beak but lack the Casque that is prominent in some other hornbill species. They are found mainly in dense forest and around rubber, supari or coffee plantations.

The Malabar Grey Hornbill is a large bird, but at 45 to 58 cm in length it is still the smallest of the Asian Hornbills. It has a 23 cm tail and pale or yellowish to orange bill. Males have a reddish bill with a yellow tip, while the females have a plain yellow bill with black at the base of the lower mandible and a black stripe along the culmen. They show a broad whitish superciliary band above the eye, running down to the neck. They fly with a strong flap and glide flight and hop around heavily on the outer branches of large fruiting trees.

The breeding season is January to May. Being secondary cavity nesters (incapable of excavating their own nests), they find trees with large cavities. The species is monogamous, and the same nest sites are used by the pair year after year. The female incarcerates herself within the cavity by sealing its entrance with a cement made from her droppings. The female then lays three or sometimes four white eggs and begins a complete moult of her flight feathers. The entrance to the nest retains a narrow aperture through which the female voids excreta and receives food from the male. The male brings all the food needed for the female and the young. Berries, insects, small rodents and reptiles are included in the diet. Males tap the tree to beckon the female on arriving with food.

#sonya7riv
#sonya7r4
#sonyalpha
#sony200600mm
   

Taken in: India / Tamil Nadu / Barilyār (show map)

Taken on: December 25, 2021

Tags:

Malabar

Grey

Malabar Grey Hornbill

Ocyceros

griseus

Ocyceros griseus

Nilgiris

Nilgiris Birds

Nilgiri

Nilgiris Travel

Birds

Birding

Bird

Birds of Nilgiris

Birding Nilgiris

Birding Ooty

Indian

Indian Birds

India

Birds of India

Birds of Tamilnadu

Wild

Wellington

Wildlife

Wellington Gymkhana Club

Wild life Nilgiris

Wild life Ooty

Beautiful

Beautiful Bird

Beauty

Pretty

Antony Grossy

Antony

Grossy

Tamil Nadu

Sim's

Sim's Park

Sony

Sony Lens

Sony Camera

Sony DSLR

Sony a7 riv

Sony SAL 200-600G Lens

Defence Services Staff College

DSSC Wellington « less

Groups appears in: • Kerala • Field Guide: Birds of the World more » • Birds , Birds Birds • FlickrToday (only 1 pic per day) • Indian Wildlife Club • Bird Images • The World Through My Eyes ... • Animal Planet • Nature Heals the Soul • α - Sony Alpha Cameras • Kerala Photography Club • MALAYALIKKOOTTAM | മലയാളിക്കൂട്ടം • SJohnson's Fauna PLEASE READ: surgery complete doing well • Platinum Photography Group *Level 1* • Better Than Good • Birds of Kerala (India) • Birds Photos - Check out the new discussions! • Nature's Pot-of-Gold • **I LOVE Horses and all God's Creatures~Add 1/Com 2~ • MARIPOSAS&BIRDS&FLORA&FAUNA&BUTTERFLY • Sony Full Frame Cameras • !*Flickr Award Group*! (GIVE 5 AWARDS) • Birds of India • INTENSOS ANIMALES / Intense animals • National Geographic Group • Wildlife Award - Post 1, Award 2 • Richard's Flora and Fauna • Getty Images Call for Artists • Outstanding Bird Photography - P1 - A3 (Admin Invite Only) • AWESOME BIRDS ! (Award 2 Please) • Birds of Indian Subcontinent • Uthram • Any kind of wildlife/nature • ! !^Opera Premiere Gallery of Honour • Flick Bar • Illuminations Exposé • Illuminations in the Wild • Sony A7R I, II, III, IV, V - Best Pictures • Sell Stock Photos • Sony ILCE-7RM4 - Alpha7RIV - A7RIV - a7R4 • Sony Alpha Full Frame Elite (no 30/60 limit) « less

Stats: 2,789 views / 42 comments

go back