Malabar grey hornbill
| Malabar grey hornbill | |
|---|---|
| A female (top) with dark base to the lower mandible, and a male (below), both in Kerala, India | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Bucerotiformes |
| Family: | Bucerotidae |
| Genus: | Ocyceros |
| Species: | O. griseus |
| Binomial name | |
| Ocyceros griseus (Latham, 1790) | |
| ● recorded locations | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Tockus griseus | |
The Malabar gray hornbill (Ocyceros griseus) is a hornbill endemic to the Western Ghats and associated hills of southern India. They have a large beak but lack the casque that is prominent in some other hornbill species. They are found mainly in dense forest and around rubber, arecanut or coffee plantations. They move around in pairs or small groups, feeding on figs and other forest fruits. Their loud cackling and laughing call makes them familiar to people living in the region.