Why in news
A study found breeding output was negatively correlated with increasing air temperature and the occurrence of drought within the breeding season
Hotter Kalahari desert may stop hornbills breeding by 2027
Kalahari desert
The Kalahari Desert is a huge basin-like plain on Southern Africa’s central plateau.
It encompasses nearly all of Botswana, the eastern third of Namibia, and the northernmost part of South Africa’s Northern Cape province.
It merges with Namib, Namibia’s coastal desert, in the southwest.
The Bushmen popularly known as San, Khwe, or Basarwa people originally from South Africa and lived in the Kalahari Desert
Hornbills
The hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family of birds found in tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia.
India is home to nine species of hornbills.
The northeastern region has the highest diversity of hornbill species within India
Papum Reserve Forest, Arunachal pradesh, is a nesting habitat of three species of hornbills:
Great hornbill (Buceros bicornis),
Wreathed hornbill (Aceros undulatus)
Oriental pied hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris)
The great hornbill is the state bird of Arunachal Pradesh and Kerala.
They are the cultural symbols of some ethnic communities in the northeast, specifically the Nyishi of Arunachal Pradesh
They are referred to as ‘forest engineers’ or ‘farmers of forest’ for playing a key role in
dispersing seeds of tropical trees and
indicate the prosperity and balance of the forest they build nests in
The Hornbill festival celebrated in Nagaland is named after the bird – Hornbill which is the most revered and admired bird for the Nagas
IUCN Red List : 26 out of the 62 species (40%) are Globally Threatened or Near Threatened with extinction, with all other species listed as Least Concern
The great hornbill is evaluated as vulnerable.
It is protected at the highest level under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
Threats
Hornbills are hunted for their casques — upper beak — and feathers for adorning headgear.
They are also poached for their meat and medicinal value of their body parts.
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