Bird Watch: Chandigarh’s pride, the Indian Grey Hornbill loves wooded areas and parks

Called ‘Ghusar Dhanesh’ in Hindi and ‘Dhan Chidi’ in Punjabi, the Indian Grey Hornbill is infamous for crashing into the glass windows of government buildings. The male and female are alike and the resident bird’s preferred habitat is a wooded area or park, of which there is no shortage in Chandigarh.

“Indian Grey Hornbill was selected as the state bird of Chandigarh during the tenure of IFS Ishwar Singh, former chief conservator of forest, Chandigarh. I believe that there would be many reasons for selecting it as the state bird,” says Narbir Kahlon, an avid birder and a member of Chandigarh Wildlife Board. “Firstly, the Indian Grey Hornbill is a symbol of healthy forests. Secondly, Chandigarh region is full of trees which constitute the best habitat for hornbills, especially in view of the food supply. Hornbill is the state bird of other states too. The Indian Great Hornbill is also the logo of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), a premier institute working in the field of conservation of many endangered bird species,” he adds.

As the name suggests, the Indian Grey Hornbill is grey with a yellow-coloured bill with black base, black and white tipped tail and a casque on its beak. There is hardly any place in Chandigarh where you will not find this bird. If you hear a sharp squealing call, do not mistake it for a black kite as the Indian Grey Hornbill’s call is similar to that of a black kite. Mostly, this bird is found in pairs.

The nesting season is April to June and the clutch varies from one to five very symmetrical white eggs. Indian Grey Hornbills usually nest in tree hollows on tall trees. An existing hollow may be excavated further to suit it. The female enters the nest hollow and seals the nest hole, leaving only a small vertical slit through which the male feeds her.