CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -What is the present conservation status of the Great Indian Hornbill? Due to poaching and habitat loss the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Great Indian Hornbill as vulnerable in the Red List of Threatened Species.

Detailed explanation-2: -In most hornbills, the casque is a hollow or spongy structure made out of keratin. It is believed that this structure acts as a vibrating chamber to make the hornbill’s voice louder. The calls made by the bird range from deep booming sounds as they begin foraging to brays, toots, bellows, and cackles.

Detailed explanation-3: -The most distinctive feature of the hornbills is the heavy bill, supported by powerful neck muscles as well as by the fused vertebrae. The large bill assists in fighting, preening, constructing the nest, and catching prey.

Detailed explanation-4: -They are typically large-headed, with thin necks, broad wings, and long tails. The plumage is brown or black, usually with bold white markings. Hornbills range in size from 40 cm (16 inches), in the smaller Tockus species, to 160 cm (63 inches), in the great hornbill (Buceros bicornis).