Context: Recently, an award-winning wildlife photographer KA Dhanuparan recalls the “special moment” when he caught a first glimpse of the 'Narcondam hornbill' with its velvet-black plumage and over-sized yellow beak.

About Narcondam Hornbill

• It is endemic to the Narcondam Island in Andamans.
• It is listed as 'Endangered' under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• The Narcondam Hornbill (Rhyticeros narcondami) is a species of hornbill in the Bucerotidae family.
• It is a fairly small hornbill species, with a black body and distinct short, white tail.
• It feeds mainly on fruit, with figs making up the majority of the diet.
• It is closely related to Blyth's hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus) and Wreathed hornbill (Rhyticeros undulatus).
• The Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) of these hornbill species in India is the Narcondam Island Wildlife Sanctuary.
• The natural ecosystems of these species include tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests, open mixed forests and tropical and sub-tropical moist shrublands.
• The CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) status is ‘Evaluated’ for the Narcondam hornbill (Rhyticeros narcondami) and is listed in Appendix II.

About Narcondam Island Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is notified as a protected reserve by the government of India.
• It is also listed on the UNESCO's tentative Lists of World Heritage Sites.
• The island was notified as a sanctuary to protect and monitor the Narcondam hornbill.
• Narcondam Island is almost entirely covered with Evergreen and Moist Deciduous forest.
• Narcondam Island is a site which is extremely important for the in-situ conservation of species which represent unique evolutionary history and species endemism.