Malabar Grey Hornbill

Ocyceros griseus (Latham, 1790)

Bucerotidae — Hornbills

Malabar Grey Hornbill, Ocyceros griseus, is a hornbill of south-west India, confined to the Western Ghats and linked hills. It is the smallest Asian hornbill, and its long bill lacks the casque seen in some other hornbills. The species is mainly associated with dense forest, though it also occurs near rubber, arecanut and coffee plantations. It is usually seen in pairs or small groups. Its loud cackling and laughing calls are well known to local people. The breeding season runs from January to May, and the pair uses tree cavities, often in large trees with hollows formed by decay or broken branches.

Order
Bucerotiformes
Family
Bucerotidae — Hornbills
Breeding range
Oriental Region: sw India
Malabar Grey Hornbill
© Drsssuresh1961 · Wikimedia Commons · CC0

Tours where you can spot this bird

12 tours in India

Southern India Birding and Wildlife Photography Expedition
Southern India Birding and Wildlife Photography Expedition
India / Bengaluru Group tour 16 days

A 16-day small-group route through Southern India for Western Ghats birds, forest wildlife and hands-on photography mentoring with Yogesh Bh...

From INR 640,000 Next: Mar 12, 2027
Western Ghats Fixed Departure Birding Tour
Western Ghats Fixed Departure Birding Tour
India / Bengaluru Group tour 9 days

Kochi - Thattekkad - Munnar - Ooty - Masinagudi - Coimbatore/Kochi...

Next: Dec 6, 2026
Private 13-Day Goa and Dandeli Western Ghats Birding Tour
Private 13-Day Goa and Dandeli Western Ghats Birding Tour
India / Goa Private tour 13 days

A thirteen-day Western Ghats birding journey through Goa and Dandeli, combining forest endemics, wetlands, plateaus, river channels and coas...

From USD 1,870
Private 8-Day Complete Goa Birding Circuit
Private 8-Day Complete Goa Birding Circuit
India / Goa Private tour 8 days

An eight-day Goa birding program spanning Western Ghats forest, lateritic plateaus, wetlands, sandbars, the Zuari waterways and southern res...

From USD 1,350
Private 4-Day Goa Forests, Wetlands and Kingfishers Birding Tour
Private 4-Day Goa Forests, Wetlands and Kingfishers Birding Tour
India / Goa Private tour 4 days

A compact four-day Goa birding circuit linking Western Ghats forest, Bondla, Bhagwan Mahavir, the Zuari waterways and Agassaim mudflats....

From USD 460
8-day Kerala Western Ghats Birding Tour
8-day Kerala Western Ghats Birding Tour
India / Thattekkad Group tour 8 days

An 8-day Kerala birding journey through Thattekkad, Periyar and Munnar, linking lowland rainforest, moist forest, shola and high-altitude gr...

From USD 1,303
13-day South India and Western Ghats Birding Journey
13-day South India and Western Ghats Birding Journey
India / Mysore Group tour 13 days

A 13-day guided birding journey from Mysore to Thattekkad through wetlands, dry forest and the high-elevation habitats of the Western Ghats....

From USD 2,160
Private Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary Birding Trip
Private Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary Birding Trip
India / Canacona Private tour 4h

Quiet private forest birding in southern Goa for Malabar Trogon, hornbills, minivets, green pigeons and drongos....

From INR 4,800
Private Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary Birding Trip
Private Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary Birding Trip
India / Ponda Private tour 6h

Private Western Ghats forest birding in Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary for hornbills, bulbuls, shamas and other specialties....

From INR 5,100
Thattekad Kerala Short Birding Tours
Thattekad Kerala Short Birding Tours
India / Kochi Private tour 5 days

Five days from Kochi focus on the Periyar-side forest at Thattekad, with three full field days, an outing to Urulanthanni and chances for ni...

Western Ghats Endemic Birding Tour
Western Ghats Endemic Birding Tour
India / Bengaluru Private tour 9 days

Kochi - Thattekkad - Munnar - Ooty - Masinagudi - Kochi...

South India and Andamans Birding Tour
South India and Andamans Birding Tour
India / Port Blair Private tour 17 days

Chennai - Port Blair - Chidiya Tapu - Bangalore - Mysore - Mudumalai - Ooty - Top Slip - Munnar - Thattekad - Cochin...