Question map
In which of the following regions of India are you most likely to come across the 'Great Indian Hornbill' in its natural habitat?
Explanation
The correct answer is option D (Western Ghats) because the Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) is found in the Anaimalai Hills of southern[1] India[2], which are part of the Western Ghats mountain range. The Great Indian Hornbill is a large forest-dwelling bird that requires dense, moist evergreen and semi-evergreen forests with tall trees for nesting and feeding, conditions typically found in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot.
Options A, B, and C can be ruled out based on habitat requirements: sand deserts of northwest India lack the forest cover and moisture needed; the higher Himalayas of Jammu and Kashmir are too cold and lack suitable tropical/subtropical forest; and salt marshes of western Gujarat are wetland ecosystems entirely unsuitable for this arboreal forest species. While the species is also found in the foothills of the Himalayas (up to about 1200m)[3], this refers to the eastern Himalayan foothills with forest cover, not the higher, alpine regions of Jammu and Kashmir mentioned in option B.
Sources- [1] https://www.birdpop.org/docs/journals/Volume-13/BPJ13-06_Das.pdf
- [3] https://moef.gov.in/uploads/2017/09/Sikkim.pdf
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a classic 'Habitat-Matching' question. You don't need to have read a specific news article; you need to apply 'Ecological Logic'. A giant frugivorous (fruit-eating) bird with a massive beak requires a tall, dense tropical canopy for food and nesting cavities. This immediately rules out deserts, marshes, and alpine zones.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Directly names a region in southern India where Buceros bicornis occurs.
- Specifically cites the Anaimalai Hills as habitat for the Great Hornbill.
- Identifies occurrence of the Great Indian Hornbill in a Himalayan foothill ecoregion.
- Lists Buceros bicornis among the fauna of the region (foot hills of the Himalayas to about 1200m).
- References nesting habitat of Buceros bicornis in the Anaimalai Hills.
- Supports southern India (Anaimalai/Western Ghats) as part of its natural range.
States that the Western Ghats and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands have tropical rain forests — a vegetation type known to support large frugivorous forest birds.
A student can combine this with basic species-habitat knowledge (hornbills favour dense tropical forests) and a map to suspect the Western Ghats and Andamans as likely hornbill areas.
Notes that Indo‑Malaysian immigration has influenced the vegetation of the hilly regions of north‑eastern India, implying tropical evergreen/semievergreen forests there.
Using a map and the rule that Indo‑Malayan-type forests occur in NE India, a student could infer northeastern hill regions as probable hornbill habitat.
Describes the Peninsular Region with teak, sal, and several deciduous and evergreen floral species — indicating substantial forest cover in peninsular India.
A student could treat peninsular evergreen/deciduous forests (Western Ghats and adjoining areas) as possible hornbill habitat by mapping these forest zones.
Emphasises that India's biodiversity is tied to diverse ecosystems and that some species are restricted by specific habitats — supporting the approach of locating species by vegetation/biogeographic zones.
A student can use this general principle to prioritize search for hornbills within distinct forest biogeographic zones (e.g., tropical evergreen/semievergreen regions) on a map.
- [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. While the skeleton calls it 'current affairs', this is static Ecology. The Great Indian Hornbill is the State Bird of Kerala and Arunachal Pradesh—basic static GK.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Biogeographic Zones of India. Specifically, the link between 'Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests' and 'Frugivorous Birds'.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Map these Indicator Species to their Biomes: 1. Great Indian Bustard → Dry Grasslands/Desert (Rajasthan). 2. Indian Wild Ass → Saline Deserts (Rann of Kutch). 3. Snow Leopard → Trans-Himalayas (Hemis). 4. Lion-tailed Macaque → Tropical Evergreen (Western Ghats). 5. Sangai → Floating Phumdis (Loktak Lake).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not memorize lists of birds blindly. Instead, profile the animal: What does it eat? Where does it nest? Hornbills need 'Old Growth Trees' for hollows to nest in. If a region lacks tall, old trees (like a desert or salt marsh), the bird cannot exist there.
Species distributions (like bird habitats) are described relative to India's biogeographic regions; reference [4] summarises this regional framework.
High-yield for UPSC: understanding biogeographic regions helps answer questions on species endemism, habitat mapping and conservation planning. It links physical geography with biodiversity and ecology questions; prepare by memorising the major regions, their key features, and representative species.
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > Biogeographic zones of India > p. 23
Habitats are determined by vegetation zones (Himalayan temperate, Western Ghats rainforests, deltaic mangroves, deserts) as described in reference [8] and [9], which is essential for locating where a species might occur.
Crucial for tackling questions on habitat-specific fauna/flora and conservation; connects climatology, soil, and vegetation to species distribution. Study by mapping vegetation types to Indian regions and memorising characteristic ecosystems and associated species.
- INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation > NATURAL VEGETATION > p. 42
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and National Parks > Natural Vegetation and National Parks > p. 1
Determining natural habitats often requires knowing threats and legal frameworks that affect species distribution; references [2] and [10] discuss Wildlife Protection Act and species in danger due to habitat loss/poaching.
Relevant for questions on biodiversity conservation, endangered species and policy (e.g., Wildlife Protection Act). Aspirants should link species status to causes and protection measures; revise major conservation laws, common threats, and examples of endangered Indian species.
- CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I ,Geography, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and Wildlife > WILDLIFE > p. 43
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and National Parks > WILDLIFE > p. 41
The Narcondam Hornbill. It is endemic ONLY to the tiny Narcondam Island in the Andamans. Unlike the Great Indian Hornbill which has a wider range, this one is restricted to a few square kilometers. Expect a question on 'Island Endemism'.
Use 'Morphological Elimination'. Look at the bird's name or image in your head: 'Great' Hornbill implies a large body size. Large birds need high energy (fruits) and large trees (for support).
- Option A (Sand Desert): No trees.
- Option C (Salt Marsh): Shrubs/Mangroves (too weak for heavy nests).
- Option B (Higher Himalayas): Alpine/Tundra (No fruit trees).
- Option D (Western Ghats): The only option with tall, fruit-bearing tropical trees.
GS3 Environment (Ecosystem Services): Hornbills are known as 'Farmers of the Forest'. They are critical for seed dispersal of hardwood trees. Their extinction leads to 'Empty Forest Syndrome'—where forests look green but cannot regenerate because the seed-dispersers are gone.