A few days ago, I had a second encounter with a baby grey hornbill, perched on my balcony towel. This little visitor, born and raised in the Nicholson Cemetery of New Delhi, caught my attention, emphasizing that these birds were thriving in their urban habitat. Although the brief moment allowed for only a couple of snapshots before it flew away, the message was clear: it’s time to share our story.
My initial encounter with grey hornbills took place decades ago in the lush surroundings of Mumbai’s Borivali National Park, now known as the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Amidst abandoned slabs of cracked cement and tarmac from an ill-conceived highway project, we stumbled upon a small flock of these antediluvian-looking creatures with high-pitched squealing calls. Their lizard-like flight, coupled with downward-curving pickaxe-like bills, created a captivating scene reminiscent of a bygone era.
Back in Delhi, I rekindled my connection with grey hornbills on a more personal level. Every spring (March and April), the hornbills in the nearby cemetery would fill the air with squeals, often seen flying or perching nonchalantly on high boughs. Larger than black kites, adorned in shabby grey feathers with long eyelashes, their down-curved profiles gave them a somewhat bemused appearance, as if pondering their existence in the modern world and the disappearance of dinosaurs.
The formidable down-curved bills of grey hornbills serve both as weapons for hunting small prey and for gentler tasks, such as delicately picking figs and berries. During spring, romantic inclinations arise, and the males woo their mates by offering carefully selected berries. Observing a pair set up a home in a neem tree, complete with the male feeding the female through a narrow slit during incubation, showcased the intricacies of their family life.
Despite their success in Delhi, grey hornbills lack the glamour of their forest-dwelling cousins, the Great Indian Hornbill or the Malabar Hornbill. These larger, black-and-white birds with enormous yellow bills and casques are truly magnificent. The author’s first encounter with the Great Indian Hornbill in Corbett, marked by their strange rasping sounds and synchronized flight, remains an unforgettable memory.
