Fruiting phenology and the conservation of the Great Pied Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) in the Western Ghats of southern India

The phenology of principal fruits consumed by the endangered Great Pied Hor nbill (Buceros bicornis) was monitored for two years in a wet forest habita t in southern India. Lipid-rich fruits, produced by several interior forest trees mainly of the family Lauraceae, were highly seasonal in their availa bility, and their production in the dry, hot season coincided with the bree ding of the hornbill. Sugary fruits, produced mainly by several species of Ficus, were available year-round due to aseasonal fruiting patterns. Becaus e Ficus fruited even at times of low fruit resource availability, and was h eavily utilized by hornbills and other frugivores, it played a keystone rol e in the maintenance of the avian frugivore community. Overall fruit produc tion was scarce between July and January during the southwest and northeast monsoon seasons. Vitex altissima produced berries abundantly during much o f this rime (September-December) and thus was another important fruit resou rce for avian frugivores. To safeguard the fruit resource base for the Grea t Pied Hornbill, we recommend: (1) The protection of Ficus and Vitex trees from overexploitation, and (2) the conservation of forest integrity to main tain compositions and densities of the lipid-rich fruit tree species utiliz ed by the hornbill.