Malabar Grey Hornbill
Ocyceros griseus
The Malabar Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros griseus) is a uncommon hornbill found only in India, weighing about 292 g. The Malabar gray hornbill is a hornbill endemic to the Western Ghats and associated hills of southern India.
About the Malabar Grey Hornbill
The Malabar gray hornbill is a hornbill endemic to the Western Ghats and associated hills of southern India. They have a large beak but lack the casque that is prominent in some other hornbill species. They are found mainly in dense forest and around rubber, arecanut or coffee plantations. They move around in pairs or small groups, feeding on figs and other forest fruits. Their loud cackling and laughing call makes them familiar to people living in the region.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The Malabar grey hornbill is a large bird, but at 45 to 58 cm (18 to 23 in) in length it is still the smallest of the Asian hornbills. It has a 23 cm (9.1 in) tail and pale or yellowish to orange bill. Males have a reddish bill with a yellow tip, while the females have a plain yellow bill with black at the base of the lower mandible and a black stripe along the culmen. They show a broad whitish superciliary band above the eye, running down to the neck. They fly with a strong flap and glide flight and hop around heavily on the outer branches of large fruiting trees.
What the Malabar Grey Hornbill sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in February. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Malabar Grey Hornbill?
- The Malabar grey hornbill is a large bird, but at 45 to 58 cm (18 to 23 in) in length it is still the smallest of the Asian hornbills. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Malabar Grey Hornbill?
- The Malabar Grey Hornbill is a medium sized bird weighing about 292 g.
- Where can you see a Malabar Grey Hornbill?
- The Malabar Grey Hornbill is endemic to India, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What does a Malabar Grey Hornbill sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Malabar Grey Hornbill on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Malabar Grey Hornbill?
- The Malabar Grey Hornbill is most easily confused with the Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill and the Indian Grey Hornbill.
- Is the Malabar Grey Hornbill endangered?
- The Malabar Grey Hornbill is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Malabar Grey Hornbill for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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