Discussions held on standardising methodologies for hornbill conservation

As part of setting up India’s first Centre of Excellence for Hornbill Conservation at Attakatti in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), Tamil Nadu Forest Department started efforts to standardise methodologies for various aspects of hornbill conservation.

Officials involved in the works said that formulation of a uniform methodology for data collection, mapping of hornbill habitats, distribution of species and phenological studies were among the key areas discussed in a workshop held at the Advanced Wildlife Management Training Centre, Attakatti, on Friday and Saturday.

Senior officials from Department and field officers from hornbill habitats held discussions with biologists to strengthen long-term hornbill conservation efforts.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of the Forest Force Srinivas R. Reddy, PCCF and Chief Wildlife Warden Rakesh Kumar Dogra and Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) H. Venuprasad were among senior officers who attended the first day of the workshop.

Field Directors, Deputy Directors, Forest Range Officers and biologists from hornbill-bearing areas of ATR, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, Kalakad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Srivilliputhur – Megamalai Tiger Reserve and Coimbatore and Kanniyakumari Forest Divisions attended the workshop, for which technical inputs were provided by wildlife biologists from the Nature Conservation Foundation.

Forest Department biologists were taken to the forest on Saturday for hands-on field training, which included practical methods of data collection, identification of hornbill species, nesting sites and understanding of their food habits.