Hornbill haven in Assam

People of Mayong village in Morigaon district of Assam have gone out of their way to secure an ideal habitat for the oriental pied hornbill, aiding in the conservation efforts to safeguard the species. Thanks to the community conservation initiative, the village now has a small colony of oriental pied hornbills (Anthracoceros albirostris). The small flock, numbering about 30, are nesting and breeding in and around the locality. “The hornbills have been living in the village for several years. At present there are more than 30 of them. They have become a part of the daily lives of the villagers and everyone is engaged in the conservation of the bird colony,” says Nipen, a nature lover. “The good thing is that the birds are roosting and breeding in our village, as they are finding the habitat suitable,” he adds. Villagers have prioritised planting fruit-bearing trees so that the hornbills can get food in the vicinity. They have planted banana and papaya trees in their backyards for the cause. The villagers hold the hornbills sacred and desist from doing anything that might harm or disturb them. They believe that hornbills are harbingers of peace and prosperity for the entire area. Nested near the Maibong Eco Resort in Mayong, the hornbill colony has facilitated a flow of bird-lovers to the region. The hornbill colony has become a tourist attraction of sorts with large numbers of people, particularly bird watchers and nature lovers, visiting at different times of the year just to see the birds. Apart from tourists and bird watchers, students from universities across the country, visit the Maibong Eco Resort, to study the unique conservation efforts undertaken by the villagers. The oriental pied hornbill is a highly adaptable species, which, in India, is found in the Himalayan foothills, the northeast and eastern parts. Referred to as ‘forest engineers’ or ‘farmers of the forest’ for their key role in dispersing seeds of tropical trees, hornbills indicate the health of the forest they build nests in.