The Hindu : Now, fibreglass 'beaks'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 18, 2003

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National

Now, fibreglass 'beaks'

By Aarti Dhar

A Great Indian Hornbill at the Delhi Zoo, a file photo.

NEW DELHI DEC. 17. The concept of using artificial beaks instead of Hornbill beaks as part of their traditional headgear is catching up among the tribal communities of Arunachal Pradesh.

The idea of using fibreglass beaks was initiated by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) India last year.

``We have distributed 100 fibreglass beaks in exchange for real Hornbill beaks to the Nyishi tribe community. The real beaks have been deposited with the Forest Department,'' the WWF project coordinator, Sudipto Chatterjee, said. Hornbills are often killed for their beaks, and as a result there is a serious threat to the already ``critically endangered species''.

The Nyishi tribe is one of the 26 tribal communities of the State whose members use Hornbill beaks as a part of their attire.

Often referred to as `old world' birds, Hornbills (Bucerotiformes) are found in countries in Africa and Asia. They are also found in Papua New Guinea. Though these very distinctive birds, which are noisy by nature, live in a range of habitats, they prefer mature forests. Of the 54 species there are, 10 have been spotted in Indian forests. Once found along the entire rainforest belt of Arunachal Pradesh, the Hornbill — which is the State bird — is now found only in some parts of the Pakke Tiger Reserve, the reserve forests of the Khellong Forest Division and the Namdapha National Park.

The major threats to Hornbills are degradation of their natural habitat owing to the shifting mode of cultivation practised by the tribal communities, hunting and logging. Their feathers are used to make hand-held fans and the traditional attire of tribal people.

In addition to their traditional uses, the headgear now has some commercial demand. Traditional taboos concerning hunting the bird during its breeding season have also disappeared among the younger generation.

Aware of the threat to the bird species, the tribal chiefs were willing to use artificial beaks provided they met their specifications.

A company from Delhi was asked to make beak replicas in fibreglass and these were approved by the community, Mr. Chatterjee said.

The WWF is now trying to use locally available varieties of wood to make the replicas. ``We are trying to train the local craftsperson to make the beaks from locally available wood or bamboo,'' Mr. Chatterjee said.

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