THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On Saturday evening, just as Ammu the Great Hornbill was busy attending the National Games opening ceremony, a male Great Hornbill was spotted hunting for lizards at Vazhachal. This indicates that it is the start of hornbill nesting season, and the female hornbill is in the nest.
For the past nine years, hornbill monitoring in Vazhachal area is done by the ‘Kadar’ community with the support of the Forest Department.
This week, the tenth year of monitoring starts.The photographs have been shot by K H Amitha Bachan, director, Western Ghats Hornbill Foundation.
The NGO has been providing technical support to the community and forest officials for hornbill monitoring.
“During the nesting season, the hornbill deviates from its usual menu of fruits and berries, and prefers protein-rich food, like lizards, squirrels or small birds,” Amitha Bachan said.
The nesting season begins in February and ends in April, while in the low-elevation areas of Vazhachal, it starts as early as January.