KUNMING, Jan 4, 2021 (BSS/XINHUA) – Four rare Malabar pied hornbills have
been spotted at a nature reserve in southwest China’s Yunnan Province,
according to local authorities.
The Xiaoheishan Provincial Nature Reserve in Longling County said the
birds were sighted by researchers during a field study in the nature reserve
last October and have recently been identified as Malabar pied hornbills.
Han Lianxian, a zoologist with the Southwest Forestry University, said the
hornbills have a scarce population and mainly inhabit evergreen broad-leaved
forests in southwest China, feeding on fruits and insects.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified the
bird as a near-threatened species on the Red List of Threatened Species.
Longling County, located near the Gaoligong Mountains, has recently
launched a spate of ecological restoration projects including afforestation
and reforestation. So far, the county has recorded a total of 292 wild bird
species.