Narcondam Hornbill(Rhyticeros narcondami)
They are a small hornbill at 66 cm long.The sexes differ in plumage. The male has a rufous head and neck, black body and upper parts glossed with green. Females are all black. There is a bluish white throat patch and the tail is white in both sexes. Both sexes have a bill with a few folds on the upper side towards the base of the upper mandible. The skin around the eye is bluish. The iris of the male is orange red while the female has an olive brown with a pale yellow ring. The bill is waxy and the furrows of the casque are brownish. The bill is pinkish towards the base. The legs are black and the sole is yellow.
Habitat
The bird is a resident of fairly open mixed forest that stretches over most of the island from sea level to about 700m. However most Narcondam Hornbill nests are found below 200m. For nesting and roosting, the bird prefers mature undisturbed forest with large trees. The entire population is restricted to the single island of Narcondam in the Andaman Island chain. The island is clothed in forests and rises to a height of about 2300 feet above sea level. It is largely devoid of human presence. The island is often hit by cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal.
Diet
The hornbill is predominantly frugivorous. Like other hornbills, they also consume invertebrates and occasionally feed on small reptiles. They sometimes mob white-bellied sea eagles that fly too close. Being predominantly fruit eaters, they play an important role in the seed dispersal of figs and other plant species. Figs are important in the ecology of many other insular hornbill species and are a major factor determining the distribution patterns of hornbills in forests.
Breeding
The breeding period spans at least from February until April. The species nests in holes on the trunk or broken branches of large trees. The female remains concealed in the nest-cavity for the duration of egg-laying and chick-rearing. At this time, the female sheds her flight feathers and hence cannot fly. The male provides food for the female and chicks. Generally two offspring are raised by a breeding pair. Breeding birds are over four years of age and make up 46-53% of the population.
Population
According to the IUCN Red List, they are classed as Endangered(EN). The population of this species is around 50-249 mature individuals. Its population appears to be stable despite some degree of hunting and habitat degradation.
Threats
A small police outpost was established on the island in 1969. Approximately 20 hectares of forest have been lost since then to the creation of the post and plantations of coconut, areca, banana and vegetable plots. At least 10 living trees are cut each year for fuel wood for the camp and further wood is cut periodically for maintenance purposes, and live chickens have been brought to the island by police stationed on the island. A proposal to install a radar station on the island was rejected after clear demonstration of the likely detrimental impact on the population of the species; however this has now been approved by the new administration. The reasons for the initial rejection of the plan still stand, and the construction phase is likely to cause disturbance to the species. There is the potential for avian disease to affect the population via further introductions of domestic animals, and there is also the potential impact of the accidental introduction of non-native predators. The likelihood of this increases as greater numbers of people access the island, likely to occur during the construction phase of the new radar station. Previously up to 400 feral goats were living on the island and limiting natural forest regeneration, but most have now been removed. A sizeable population of feral cats occurs which may pose a threat to the species. Hunting for food was estimated to be causing an annual loss of 25-40 birds at the start of the 2000s, but an awareness campaign has reduced this level. Its small population and tiny range make it susceptible to natural disasters and disease, but the species population does not appear to have been affected by the 2004 tsunami.
Conservation
Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix II. It is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act and Narcondam Island is a wildlife sanctuary. Goats have been removed, although local reports suggest this may not have been completely successful. Strict instructions not to hunt the species have been issued to the personnel on the island. In 1992, the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) began preliminary surveys of the avifauna on the Andaman Islands, with an emphasis on several target species, including Narcondam Hornbill.
Conservation Actions Proposed
Monitor the population regularly. Completely remove all remaining goats from the island and prevent reintroduction. Provide cooking fuel to the island's inhabitants to eliminate their requirement for fuelwood. Carefully investigate the possibility of establishing a second population on another suitable island in the Andamans in case of a serious population decline or natural disaster. Consider providing nest boxes to increase the availability of nest sites. Plant additional fig trees to encourage forest regeneration. Reduce illegal hunting through environmental education and strict enforcement of the Wildlife Protection Act. Develop a long-term species recovery plan.