60 years after disappearing from Gir, Indian Grey Hornbills breed for fourth consecutive year
The Indian Grey Hornbill has successfully bred for four consecutive years in Gujarat’s Gir forests following a reintroduction program. This marks a significant milestone in regional wildlife conservation and forest ecosystem restoration.
Why it matters
The successful reintroduction of a seed-dispersing species is critical for long-term forest regeneration and biodiversity health.
More than six decades after the Indian Grey Hornbill disappeared from Gujarat’s Gir forests, the species has recorded four consecutive years of successful breeding following its reintroduction, according to a scientific study published in the international peer-reviewed journal Birds .
The findings come as Gujarat recently reported another wildlife conservation milestone, with the second Great Indian Bustard chick hatched through the “jump-start” technique surviving beyond the critical 40-day period.
The study, titled Reintroduction of Indian Grey Hornbills in Gir, India: Insights into Ranging, Habitat Use, Nesting and Behavioural Patterns , presents the first comprehensive assessment of the reintroduction programme undertaken by the Gujarat Forest Department and its conservation partners after the species disappeared from Gir between the 1950s and 1960s.
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