In News:

The Forest Department of Chhattisgarh has initiated the establishment of six “hornbill restaurants” in the Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve (USTR) to support the rare Malabar Pied Hornbill and promote natural forest regeneration.

What are “Hornbill Restaurants”?

• Specially developed fruit-rich plantation zones inside forest areas.
• Designed to provide continuous food sources (especially native fruit-bearing trees).
• Aim to:
  • Attract hornbills.
  • Support breeding and nesting.
  • Aid in natural seed dispersal and forest expansion.

The initiative uses hornbills’ natural seed-dispersal behaviour to promote forest regeneration while conserving a Near Threatened species.

Malabar Pied Hornbill

• Scientific Name: Anthracoceros coronatus
• Common Name: Lesser Pied Hornbill

• Medium-sized hornbill.
• Distinctive black and white plumage.
• Prominent curved bill with a casque on top.
• Habitat:
  • Evergreen forests.
  • Moist and dry deciduous forests.
  • Often found near human settlements.
• Distribution:
  • Western Ghats
  • North-eastern Himalayan foothills (India and Nepal)
  • Satpura Hills
  • Sri Lanka
• Diet:
  • Primarily frugivorous (fruit-eating).
  • Becomes partly omnivorous during breeding season.
• Ecological Role:
  • Acts as a key seed disperser.
  • Indicator species of forest health and ecological stability.

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Near Threatened
• Major Threats:
  • Habitat loss
  • Forest degradation
  • Fragmentation

Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve (USTR)

• Location: Located in Chhattisgarh.
• Formation: Created by merging Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary and Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Drainage System
  • Major river: Mahanadi
  • Tributaries: Udanti, Sitanadi, Indravan, Pairi
• Topography
  • 19 named mountains.
  • Deo Dongri – Highest peak.
  • At?nga Dongar – Most prominent mountain.
• Vegetation: Predominantly tropical dry and moist deciduous forests.