Has hornbill distribution declined in last twenty years?

What is the status of hornbills across select Protected Areas in north-east India?

To find answers to these questions, we traveled 25,000 km, sought information from hunters & elders for an area of more than 17,000 sq. km & trekked in 16 Protected Areas

We worked across five states in north-east India -Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura - to document the status of hornbills in selected protected areas through intensive field surveys. Through structured interviews with hunters, knowledgeable elders and forest department staff we also aimed to detect change in habitat use intensity by hornbills over 20 years through structured interviews

The survey began in October 2013 and ended in May 2014 during which we travelled more than 25,000 km. Four species of hornbills were detected, with limited detections of Brown hornbill from a few sites in four states. Six species of primates were also detected. Information on hunting and other threats to these species was also collected during the interview surveys. The survey has resulted in a quantitative understanding of hornbill presence/ occupancy over a large area in north-east India, with a considerable decline in hornbill habitat-use intensity and detection probability of all hornbill species in most states in north-east India, which has pointed to the need for targeted conservation action for hornbills.