● The hornbills (Family Bucerotidae) are a family of birds found in tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia.

● In India: India is home to nine species of hornbills.

● The northeastern region has the highest diversity of hornbill species within India.

● They are the cultural symbols of some ethnic communities in the northeast, specifically the Nyishi of Arunachal Pradesh.

● The Hornbill festival celebrated in Nagaland is named after the bird – Hornbill which is the most revered and admired bird for the Nagas.

Threats:

● Hornbills are hunted for their casques – upper beak – and feathers for adorning headgear. They are also poached for their meat and medicinal value of their body parts.

● A conservation programme promoting the use of fibre-glass beaks for headgear instead of real hornbill casques has helped reduce some threat to it.

● Illegal logging i.e. cutting of tall trees where the hornbill birds nest and feed has led to destruction of its natural habitat.