Welcome To The Village Of Borbhuin Chetia In Assam - Where Hornbills Have Found A New Home

Borbhuin Chetia Gaon, a remote hamlet in Sivsagar district, has upped the conservation efforts with villagers going out of their way to secure an ideal habitat for the oriental pied hornbill.

BCCL

Thanks to the community conservation initiative, the village now has a small colony of dozen-odd oriental pied hornbills (Anthracoceros albirostris) that are nesting and breeding in and around the locality.

Thus, the village could easily pass off as an open air zoo with a large number of colourful hornbills flying around the serene landscape, happily pecking away at the fruit on the trees the residents have very thoughtfully planted for them. Not surprisingly, the village has won a green award for the great conservation efforts of the villagers.

Vinod Bartakke

¡°The hornbills have been living in our village for the last several years. At present there are about 20 of them. They have become a part of the daily lives of the villagers and everyone is engaged in conservation of the bird colony,¡± said Mridul Burhagohain, a journalist and nature lover.

BCCL

The villagers hold the hornbills sacred and desist from doing anything that might harm or disturb them. They believe that hornbills are harbingers of peace and prosperity for the entire area.

Dr Chetia, who is also a resident of Borbhuin Chetia Gaon, added that a few decades back, there were just two pairs of hornbills in the village. ¡°With the growing sensitisation of the villagers on conservation, a corresponding increase was seen in the bird¡¯s number. The good thing is that the birds are roosting and breeding in our village, as they are finding the habitat suitable,¡± he said.

Signature Campaign - Assam Bandhu

The villagers have launched a signature campaign under the banner of Assam Bandhu, a voluntary organisation, for carrying the message of conservation beyond the village. The people had come forward on their own and the conservation project slowly became a successful project. The people of the village have planted banana and papaya trees in their backyards so that the birds are not short of food. Occasionally, the villagers also offer meat to the hornbills.

Facebook/beautiful birds

Moreover, since the hornbills have been nesting on some big, tall trees such as silikha, jori, etc., at Teporchali Bam, Bora Chuk for several years for breeding, the villagers are urged not to fell the trees on which the hornbills build their nests. If this is not all, the villagers are even urged to plant fruit-bearing trees so that the birds can get their food in the vicinity.

Though the birds occasionally are a nuisance to the villagers, picking fruits from the farms, the villagers have never thought of harming the birds. Thus, the villagers have ensured that the hornbills can fly around without any fear in the village. They eat the fruits on the trees generously planted by the villagers. The village has also become an example for many others in adjoining areas.

Nature

Sometimes when the hornbills are injured by strong winds and during heavy monsoons, the villagers have even treated injured birds and released them after giving them first aid. Several hoardings and posters have been put up in and around the village to disseminate information and enhance awareness about the conservation of the bird. Bharat Bora, a resident of Tepor Chali Bam, Bora Chuck said, ¡°Last year, I found a male hornbill injured by some dogs. I rescued it right from the jaws of a dog and took to the veterinary doctor at Moran. After treatment for 15 days it was able to fly again¡±.

A tourist attraction and a paradise for bird lovers

Nested on a banyan tree near the Demou river that flows by the village, the hornbill colony has facilitated a flow of bird-lovers and tourists in the area. The hornbill colony has become a tourist attraction of sorts with large numbers of people, particularly bird watchers and nature lovers, visiting at different times of the year just to see the birds.

Uttam Ramola

Apart from tourists, the village has also been frequently visited by people from different places to see the hornbills atop the banyan tree. Bird watchers, as well as students from different universities, also visit the village to study the conservation efforts undertaken by the villagers, which is very unique. The village and its people were recently conferred the prestigious ¡°Homen Borgohain Green Award¡± for their efforts towards conserving the hornbills as this special award would encourage them to do even more.