Data from: A conservation status survey of hornbills (Bucerotidae) in the Western Ghats, India

The Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in India is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, which is likely to impact large-bodied, wide-ranging species with specialised requirements such as hornbills. In this survey along the Western Ghats, we surveyed for four hornbill species that occur here: Malabar Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros coronatus, and Indian Grey Hornbill Ocyceros birostris (endemic to South Asia), Malabar Grey Hornbill Ocyceros griseus (endemic to the Western Ghats), and the Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis. We visited 45 localities across five states: Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. These included 26 wildlife sanctuaries, 5 national parks, 13 reserved forests, and one plantation landscape. Across sites, we walked 80 transect surveys totalling a length of 286.4 km. In all, 631 individual hornbills (412 detections) were recorded across 35 localities. The Malabar Grey Hornbill was most frequently detected, and widely-distributed, followed by the Great, and Malabar Pied hornbills. The Indian Grey Hornbill, more widespread across India, was seen in only two locations in this survey. Hornbill encounter was up to five times higher in moist, and wet forests as compared to dry forest types. Based on hornbill distribution and protected areas, five important hornbill conservation landscapes were identified in the Western Ghats (Amboli–Goa–Dandeli, Anamalai–Parambikulam–Vazhachal, Nilgiris– Wayanad, Someshwara–Sharavati–Mookambika, Neyyar–Peppara–KMTR, and Periyar) along with key reserved forests (Kottiyoor, New Amarambalam, Vazhachal, Nelliampathy, Goodarickal, Kulathupuzha–Palode). Hornbill densities were estimated in two of the above landscapes, and are provided as a baseline. We highlight some key considerations for hornbill research and conservation, and future needs.

印度西高止山脉生物多样性热点（biodiversity hotspot）地区正面临栖息地丧失与破碎化（habitat loss and fragmentation）的威胁，这大概率会对诸如犀鸟（hornbill）这类具有特殊生存需求、体型较大且活动范围广泛的物种造成不利影响。本研究沿西高止山脉开展调查，针对该区域分布的4种犀鸟进行了系统性调研：马拉巴尔斑犀鸟（*Anthracoceros coronatus*）、印度灰犀鸟（*Ocyceros birostris*，南亚特有种）、马拉巴尔灰犀鸟（*Ocyceros griseus*，西高止山脉特有种）以及双角犀鸟（*Buceros bicornis*）。
我们共走访了印度马哈拉施特拉邦、果阿邦、卡纳塔克邦、喀拉拉邦与泰米尔纳德邦5个邦的45个调查点位，其中包含26个野生动物保护区、5个国家公园、13处保留林（reserved forest）以及1处人工林景观。在各调查点位，我们累计开展80条样线调查（transect surveys），总调查里程达286.4千米。本次调查共在35个点位记录到631只犀鸟个体，累计有效观测记录412条。
马拉巴尔灰犀鸟的观测频次最高、分布范围最广，其次为双角犀鸟与马拉巴尔斑犀鸟。而在印度全境分布更为广泛的印度灰犀鸟，在本次调查中仅在2个点位被观测到。相较于干旱森林生境，湿润与潮湿森林中的犀鸟遇见率最高可达其5倍。
基于犀鸟的分布格局与现有保护地体系，本研究在西高止山脉划定了5处重要的犀鸟保护优先景观：安博利-果阿-丹德利、阿纳马莱-帕拉姆比库拉姆-瓦扎查尔、尼尔吉里斯-瓦亚纳德、索梅什瓦拉-沙拉瓦蒂-穆坎比卡、内亚尔-佩帕拉-KMTR以及佩里亚尔，同时明确了一批关键保留林：科蒂约尔、新阿马拉巴兰、瓦扎查尔、内利扬帕蒂、古达里克卡尔、库拉图普扎-帕洛德。本研究对上述2处保护景观中的犀鸟种群密度进行了估算，相关数据可作为后续相关研究的基线。
本研究最后提出了犀鸟研究与保护的若干关键考量方向，并明确了未来的研究需求。