The Western Ghats is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and recognized as one of the world’s eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of biological diversity. 54 species of hornbills are known to date, from Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Papua New Guinea of the Australasian region. India is home to nine species of Hornbills.

The publication has been developed as a part of the India High Range Mountain Landscape project led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and United Nations Development Programme, along with the Haritha Keralam Mission and State Forest Department of Kerala and funded by the Global Environment Facility. The project aims to showcase a landscape-based approach for conservation of natural resources, biodiversity, traditional knowledge and community livelihoods in the Western Ghats.