Indian Grey Hornbill: Ocyceros birostris (Male)

Indian Grey Hornbill (Dhanesh)
Ocyceros birostrosis - Male

 

Dhanesh is the local name for Indian Grey Hornbill. If you are a bird-watcher with a 55-300 mm lens on your camera, the chances are you have to get close to the birds and wildlife for decent snaps. That's risky business - you can disturb the wildlife and birds and that's not quite right. This male Dhanesh bird flew in with his mate, out of nowhere, and alit on a nearby tree. Fidgety chap, kept hopping around and peeking down at me before he soared over to another tree yonder in the woods, and then another tree. The female of the species was more allowing of my clumsy attempts to photograph the two. It's in their nature to chase each other from tree to tree anyway and that's what this couple was doing in the Keoladeo woods.

 

Grey in colour, their distinctive feature is their big broad bill with a protuberance above called a "casque". This one was a little over two feet from bill to tail tip.

 

The male has a larger casque, a darker bill with a yellow colouring of the lower jaw of the bill. Yes, yes, I know there is a term for that but can't recall offhand. The bare area around the eye is dark colored in a male.

 

It's call is quite similar to a kite's.

 

 

Photographed at Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India on 29th December, 2013.

 

Camera used: Nikon D5100 DSLR with AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm VR Lens