Malamuzhakki Vezhambal – Seeking new habitations

 

Malamuzhakki Vezhambal – Seeking new habitations

Jaya Prakash Kallikkal

Sighting of a Malamuzhakki Vezhambal or the Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) in the coastal region of Ezhimalai in Kannur District in Kerala is rare and unique. Does it signify a serious change in climatic pattern in the state of Kerala?

Despite being a native of Kerala, life has kept me rooted in Delhi for several decades now, as I have grown up and settled in the sprawling capital of India.  However, this has not deterred my love for my home state and I continue to undertake regular visits to Kerala to understand the finer nuances of its nature, culture, spirituality and social ethos.

I love nature and over the past four decades, I have travelled extensively across Kerala.  The vibrant diversity in terms of topography, flora and fauna of God’s own country has been a revelation to me.  The long coastline on the Western side of the state, the elevated hill and mountainous terrain of Western Ghats flanked by massive forest ranges of Silent Valley, Parambikkulam and a plateau rich in bio diversity running across the state, makes Kerala a nature lover’s favorite destination.  Not to be left behind and lost amongst the crowds of an ever growing metropolis like Delhi, As any nature lover, I have over the years found salvation and rest in my home district Palakkad and my home state of Kerala.  

I was alarmed to read a recent news item relating to sighting of a Malamuzhakki Vezhambal or the Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) in the coastal region of Ezhimalai in Kannur District of Kerala.  The Great hornbill is a large, distinctive bird known for its impressive size, prominent casque (a bony growth on its beak), and unique calls. The bird which is predominantly frugivorous (meaning it primarily eats fruit) however also consumes small mammals, reptiles, and birds.  The bird is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act.  What does this news items signify?

 Malamuzhakki Vezhambal

My visits to Kerala over the past five decades have not just covered all the districts of my home state but have also traversed across the  evergreen and moist deciduous forests of Silent Valley, Nelliyampathy, Athirapally, Aralam and Parambikulam, places where the Great Hornbill has been sighted.  However, the recent sighting of this bird in the coastal zone of Ezhimala in Kannur District of Kerala is somewhat disturbing for me. Such migrations primarily point to Habitat Disturbance and Fragmentation, as deforestation and degradation of tropical forests especially in the Western Ghats could force, rare birds such as hornbills, to move in search of suitable nesting and feeding grounds. This can also be caused due to loss of large fruiting trees (key for nesting and diet) which can cause these birds to shift habitats temporarily or semi-permanently.  

The sighting also indicates to Climate Change Impacts in the state, as shifts in temperature and rainfall patterns affect fruiting cycles of trees, pushing hornbills to follow new seasonal fruiting zones. Increases in extreme weather events may also be reasons for disruption of breeding cycles and nesting sites, prompting movement of these rare birds to more stable areas.   Resource Tracking (Nomadism) could be another reason for Hornbills, which are frugivores, who tend to follow the phenology of fruiting trees, leading them to migrate if fruiting times and tree distributions change (which is being witnessed in the state of Kerala) due to environmental shifts leading these birds to adopt a more nomadic or altitudinal movement pattern.  Adaptive behaviour and Survival Strategies revealing the growing ecological stress on the species could be another reason that has caused rare bird such as Malamuzhakki Vezhambal to seek new pasture in the coastal region of Ezhimalai.

I feel that altered or new migratory or movement patterns in respect of the Great Hornbill are clear red flags of ecosystem stress, potentially driven by climate change, habitat loss, and changing food availability in the state of Kerala. This sighting also signifies the need for urgent ecological assessments and adaptive conservation measures to protect this iconic bird and the forests it sustains through seed dispersal.  At a broader level apart from the conservation Implications and changing patterns that challenge existing protected area boundaries and conservation strategies. Governments and conservationists must now consider corridor connectivity, landscape-level conservation, and monitoring of such patterns across wider ranges.

We are witnessing heavy and excess rainfall that is leading to frequent floods, landslides and change in climatic patterns in the eco sensitive zones leaving this state with a depleted forest cover and altered land holding patterns.  Besides a man animal conflict the state is today faced with a daunting task of reassessing its environmental goals and making corrective changes. 

Ezhimalai with its awesome shoreline (a large part of which is now a controlled area), a towering lighthouse and a sprawling forest range may be a new breeding ground for Malamuzhakki Vezhambal but the alarm signs are clearly out.  In the face of climate change, not just birds or animals but human habitations should also seek a new recourse in the way life needs to be carried on in this beautiful part of the world. 

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