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（Western Ghats）这一生物多样性热点区域正遭受栖息地丧失与破碎化的威胁，这极有可能对具备特殊生存需求的大型广布物种造成不利影响，例如犀鸟（hornbill）。本次沿西高止山脉开展的调查中，我们针对当地分布的4种犀鸟进行了系统调查：斑嘴犀鸟（Malabar Pied Hornbill，Anthracoceros coronatus）、印度灰犀鸟（Indian Grey Hornbill，Ocyceros birostris，为南亚特有种）、马拉巴尔灰犀鸟（Malabar Grey Hornbill，Ocyceros griseus，为西高止山脉特有种）以及双角犀鸟（Great Hornbill，Buceros bicornis）。我们走访了马哈拉施特拉邦（Maharashtra）、果阿邦（Goa）、卡纳塔克邦（Karnataka）、喀拉拉邦（Kerala）与泰米尔纳德邦（Tamil Nadu）共5个邦的45个调查点位，其中涵盖26处野生动物保护区、5处国家公园、13处保留林以及1处人工种植园景观。各调查点位总计开展80条样线调查，总行程达286.4千米。本次调查共在35个点位记录到631只犀鸟个体（有效检出412次）。马拉巴尔灰犀鸟的检出频次最高、分布最广，其次为双角犀鸟与斑嘴犀鸟。而在印度国内分布范围更广的印度灰犀鸟，本次调查仅在2个点位被观测到。相较于干旱森林类型，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保护地体系，我们在西高止山脉内识别出5处重要的犀鸟保护景观，分别为安博利-果阿-丹德利（Amboli–Goa–Dandeli）、阿纳马莱-帕拉姆比库拉姆-瓦扎查尔（Anamalai–Parambikulam–Vazhachal）、尼尔吉里斯-瓦亚纳德（Nilgiris–Wayanad）、索梅什瓦拉-沙拉瓦蒂-穆库姆比卡（Someshwara–Sharavati–Mookambika）、内亚尔-佩帕拉-KMTR（Neyyar–Peppara–KMTR）以及佩里亚尔（Periyar），同时还包括科蒂约尔（Kottiyoor）、新阿马拉姆巴兰（New Amarambalam）、瓦扎查尔（Vazhachal）、内利安帕蒂（Nelliampathy）、古达里克卡尔（Goodarickal）、库拉图普扎-帕洛德（Kulathupuzha–Palode）等重点保留林。我们在其中2处保护景观中估算了犀鸟种群密度，并将其作为基线数据提供。本研究提出了犀鸟研究与保护的若干关键考量方向，并展望了未来的研究需求。