Great Hornbill in Pictures

I was thrilled to spot the Great Hornbill in my very first hour at the Nameri National Park in Assam, India. This rare sighting ensured that my spirits soared over the entire duration I spent here.


It was a thrilling experience to see this majestic bird in action. But, this sighting, came with a slight twist. It was not us that spotted the Great Hornbill, but the bird gave itself away after it took off noticing our nearing presence.


We noticed it only because of its ‘helicopter start’ like sound that it creates while flying. It seemed like it was on one side of our jungle trekking trail and flew to the other end. There were three of them. Their ‘helicopter’ like flying sound nearly scared a couple of my friends.


And all of them were sitting on the highest branches of the trees, but slightly far away for us. This didn’t give us a great vantage point, but it wasn’t bad either.


The Great Hornbill is quite special…its massive wing span, its huge beak, its phenomenal size, its screeching call that is a thrill to hear and its ability to ensure longevity of a forest.


Luckily for us, the hornbills gave us a great sighting for about 10 minutes, which was very special to us. This allowed me to capture them in good frames. I hope these pictures allow you to enjoy these mighty birds as much as I did.