Seasonal Variation in Hornbill Densities in Coffee Plantations in the Anamalai Hills, Western Ghats, India

Abstract

Hornbill habitats are shrinking across their distribution ranges. Geographic spread and small sizes of most protected areas are not sufficient to conserve hornbill populations. Human-modified habitats adjoining protected areas could potentially hold hornbill populations depending upon the proximity to the forest, nature of land-use and structural complexity of the modified habitat. An assessment of the use and suitability of modified habitats can inform hornbill conservation beyond conventional protected areas. This study estimated and compared hornbill densities in pre- and post-nesting seasons using point-transect surveys in coffee plantations in the Anamalai Hills, Western Ghats, India. Overall Great Hornbill (GH) density was 31±7.7 (mean ± SE) individuals/km . Malabar Grey Hornbill (MGH) density was 56±11.2 (mean ± SE) individuals/km2. These may, however, be overestimates because of the point count survey method used. Our study shows that coffee plantations adjacent to protected areas have a large potential to support hornbill populations and species conservation.