Abstract
The hornbills are among the most extraordinary looking birds in the world. Out of two species of hornbill, the Ocyceros gingalensis is the only endemic grey hornbill in Sri Lanka. This study was conducted in Mihintale Sanctuary which is comprised of secondary dry mixed evergreen forest patches and semiurbanized area from 2013 to 2015. Ad libitum focal animal sampling was used to construct an ethogram for the behavior of Sri Lanka grey hornbill (SLGh). The study recorded 35 behavioral events in 11 acts under 4 types of their activities. Courtship and mating activities were recorded within the study period. Food items were changed throughout the parental care period. Within this period chicks were offered sufficient food comprised of fruits and flesh. These revealed that the nesting of the SLGh in suburb areas is not good sign since it potentially indicates the loss of adequate breeding conditions in the forest. Conservation of SLGh depends on protection of trees and tree cavities as an important ecological niche.
Highlights
There are 55 different species of hornbills which were found throughout Asia and Africa but there is no similar genus which could find both of these continents [1]. 31 species of hornbills already present within Asian continent and among them two species present in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka grey hornbill (Ocyceros gingalensis) is the only endemic hornbill species found in Sri Lanka
According to IUCN categories they are considered as the least concern species which can be categorized into family Bucerotideae, the old world birds
Summary
There are 55 different species of hornbills which were found throughout Asia and Africa but there is no similar genus which could find both of these continents [1]. 31 species of hornbills already present within Asian continent and among them two species present in Sri Lanka. Due to large body size [2, 3] and monogamous behavior hornbills can be designated as keystone or flagship species in some countries [1]. They are considered to be one of the most important seed dispersal birds [3, 4] in the ecological habitats and play an important role in forest dynamics because they disperse seeds of many forest trees, especially the large seeded ones [5,6,7], and many serve as “mobile links” [8] in the food-web organization for rain forests [9]. The family Bucerotidae was introduced (as Buceronia) by the French polymath Constantine Samuel
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