Species File: Exploring India’s biodiversity, one species at a time.

In July, four Malabar pied hornbills were spotted near agricultural fields along the Muyyam river in Kannur district, Kerala, a first for the area. The sighting was considered a marvel given that the species is rarely spotted outside dense forests. Another hornbill species, the Indian grey hornbill, has been breeding successfully in Gujarat’s Gir National Park, where 40 individuals was translocated in 2021.

Despite these instances, hunting and other threats continue to loom over the hornbills in India. In June, the forest department arrested three people in connection with the hunting of a protected hornbill in Assam’s Tinsukia district, highlighting continued pressure on the species.

Hornbills (family Bucerotidae) are birds found largely in the tropics of sub-Saharan Africa and south and south-east Asia. They are easily recognised by their long, curved bills topped with a casque. The birds nest in the natural hollows of high-canopy trees, where females seal themselves inside tree cavities during breeding. Hornbills are often known as ‘farmers of the forest’ due to their propensity to consume fruits and disperse seeds far and wide.

India is home to nine hornbill species. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Species, some, such as the great hornbill (Buceros bicornis) and Malabar grey hornbill (Ocyceros griseus) are listed as vulnerable. The Malabar pied hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus) is near threatened with a declining population, while the Indian grey hornbill (Ocyceros birostris) population remains relatively stable.

Most hornbill species in India are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, granting them the highest level of protection. However, hornbills still face growing threats from deforestation and habitat fragmentation.

In a report that Mongabay-India published in December 2019, K.H. Amitha Bachan, a researcher and consultant to Kerala Forest Department, said, “A healthy population of hornbills signifies a healthy ecosystem. So the hornbill conservation measures in the region [Kerala] are helping comprehensive protection of the environment of the Western Ghats stretch.”

Read more about ongoing efforts to understand hornbill ecology in the Western Ghats, India’s first hornbill-focussed conservation centre, and how a citizen science project is gathering data on hornbills.

Banner image: A great hornbill carries food to her nest. Image by Angadachappa via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

An international team of scientists and naturalists has described a completely new genus and species of tiger moth found in Kerala. Belonging to the tiger moth subfamily Arctiinae (Erebidae), the species, now named Antaram idukki, was discovered in the state’s Idukki district. According to the study’s lead author, Aparna Sureshchandra Kalawate of the Zoological Survey of India, the insect is so distinct that it cannot be placed in any known genus of tiger moths.

“We collected this specimen from Idukki in 2024, but it didn’t match any known tiger moth genus from India,” says Kalawate. “After conducting a detailed morphological analysis, I contacted Alberto Zilli, curator at the Natural History Museum, London, and co-author of the paper, asking him to compare it with genera across the entire subfamily. It took him five to six months to complete the assessment, and he eventually confirmed that it did not match any known genus. That’s when we concluded we were looking at a new genus.”

Typically taxonomists discover species so discovering an an entirely new genus, a rank in the biological classification system that is above species, is a rare finding.

The researchers named the new genus Antaram and the species Antaram idukki. It differs in its body structure and reproductive anatomy from all known tiger moth groups. The team collected only a single male specimen from Idukki district in the southern Western Ghats. They say this could indicate that the species is either extremely rare or has simply escaped detection, as moth diversity in the Western Ghats remains poorly documented.

The paper describes the moth as having an unusual pattern of strongly wavy dark bands across its forewings, unlike most Indian tiger moths. The scientists note that two common moths in Kerala belonging to the genus Mangina look remarkably similar, and hypothesise that the new species may have evolved to resemble these more common moths to avoid predation.

The researchers relied solely on morphological evidence because only a single male specimen was available. “DNA analysis would have provided an additional line of evidence, but with just one specimen, our study was limited,” Kalawate says. “We can’t yet determine its conservation status or even say whether it is endemic to the Western Ghats or Kerala. It’s too early. We need more specimens and further studies.”

Banner image: Antaram idukki, discovered in Kerala’s Idukki district. Image by Md. Jafer Palot.

Species File: Exploring India’s biodiversity, one species at a time.

In a Meghalaya village, the World Cup isn’t the only event on a four-year cycle. The forests, too, come alive with the return of the niangtaser cicadas (Chremistica ribhoi). Known for their four-year life cycle, these insects’ return coincides with the football World Cup, giving them the nickname ‘World Cup cicadas’.

Cicadas (Cicadoidea) are insects belonging to the order Hemiptera, known for their loud, distinctive calls and long underground life cycles. It is only when they are ready to metamorphose into an adult that they emerge from the ground.

The most defining feature of cicadas lies in the sound they make, produced exclusively by males, who sing to attract female partners. Their calls, produced by repetitive vibrations in the tymbal membrane on their abdomen result in their characteristic sound, which can reach over 100 decibels. Each species has its own specific call. The collective sound of cicadas also acts as a “very good indicator of forest health.”

Despite scientists discovering new species of cicadas in the Western Ghats and northeast India in recent years, these insects remain understudied. While cicadas as a group are not collectively listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, some individual species are in the least concern or near threatened categories. In India, the cicadas are not listed under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, lacking formal legal protection.

For ecologists, cicadas are more than just sources of sound. They play an important role in feeding birds, reptiles and mammals, while helping in soil aeration and nutrient cycling.

In an earlier story that Mongabay-India published in May 2024, Vivek Sarkar, a field entomologist, said, “Cicadas are found almost throughout the globe except the Arctic regions and deserts and have been studied widely in North America. The total number of species of cicadas in India described till date is 204.”

Read more about cicadas that sing in sync at sunrise and the newly described species, Becquartina bicolor, from Meghalaya.

Banner image: A cicada in Kodagu, Karnataka. Image by Ljain19 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Amidst a rise in electricity demand driven by warmer conditions in June, hydropower generation has declined, increasing India’s reliance on coal-fired power. The trend could intensify if El Niño conditions strengthen during the southwest monsoon.

An analysis published by S&P Global, an energy market intelligence firm, on July 3 said that India’s average hydropower generation in June declined by 6.3 aGW (average gigawatt) from a year earlier, even as average electricity demand increased by 24.3 aGW. The shortfall was largely offset by a 20.7 aGW increase in coal-fired generation, while solar and wind generation rose by a combined 9.4 aGW.

The trend is not confined to India. According to the S&P Global analysis, Japan, South Korea, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Malaysia have also witnessed lower hydropower generation. However, India and Vietnam together accounted for nearly 80% of the regional decline in hydropower generation, making them the most affected countries in Asia.

“The June decline (in hydropower generation) is consistent with the expected impact of El Niño on rainfall patterns and reservoir inflows across Asia,” the analysis said and added that hydropower generation could remain below normal if El Niño conditions persist through the summer months.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) and several international weather agencies have projected the development of El Niño conditions during the southwest monsoon season. During a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister’s Office on July 6, IMD officials said weak to moderate El Niño conditions are expected in July and August. Meanwhile, prolonged heatwave conditions across several parts of the country in recent months have already pushed electricity demand to record levels.

The decline in hydropower generation is significant because hydropower is among the most flexible sources of power generation. Unlike solar and wind, hydroelectric plants can rapidly adjust output to meet fluctuations in demand and variable renewable generation, helping maintain grid stability during peak demand periods, the analysis has said.

Another analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent research organisation, said that El Niño will pose a double challenge. It will increase electricity demand due to warmer temperatures and reduce renewable power generation, particularly from hydropower and wind. It estimated that India could face a generation gap of nearly 18 terawatt-hours (TWh) due to reduced renewable output and higher electricity demand. It projects that the gap would largely be met by coal-fired generation, leading to an additional 17 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

Banner image: Manjara Dam in Marathwada region, Maharashtra, dries up completely during a drought in 2016. Representative image. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Species File: Exploring India’s biodiversity, one species at a time.

With an incurable sweet tooth, this mammal spends hours feeding on tender bamboo shoots. While it has a predominantly plant-based diet, it is a carnivore, occasionally eating eggs, insects and small birds.

Meet the red panda (Ailurus fulgens). It has a unique ruddy coat, ringed tail and a laid-back demeanour. It is not much of a traveller and stays within a short home range of two to three kilometres.

There are two species of red pandas — the Himalayan red panda (Aurilius fulgens fulgens) and the Chinese red panda (Aurilius fulgens styani). The two species are distributed in the eastern and north-eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests and the eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests, located in China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and northern Myanmar.

The red panda faces multiple threats ranging from habitat loss to illegal trapping and poaching, as well as snaring in traps set for other animals. While red panda related crimes are at a relatively low level in India compared to Nepal, experts advise threat assessment, population estimations, boosting community conservation initiatives, building on red panda crime database and creating DNA databases at regional levels.

In Nepal’s Taplejung district, Forest Guardians are on the frontlines of red panda conservation. They monitor habitat, deter poaching and gather scientific data to help protect the species — part of a citizen-led program launched in 2010.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Species categorises the red panda as endangered with an estimated fewer than 15,000 individuals in the wild. In India, it has the highest legal protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. It is also listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), prohibiting international trade.

In an earlier story that Mongabay published in July 2025, Ang Phuri Sherpa, Executive Director of Red Panda Network, a non-profit, said, “One of the biggest threats to their survival is the rapid, haphazard construction of roads in Nepal’s mid-hills. These roads often cut through critical habitat, without any scientific assessment, fragmenting the forests red pandas rely on.”

Read more about how habitat fragmentation and natural barriers restrict red panda movement, and the need for cross-border collaboration to protect the species.

Banner image: A red panda. Image by Harlequeen via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).

Species File: Exploring India’s biodiversity, one species at a time.

Earlier this year in January, camera traps set up in West Bengal’s Buxa Tiger Reserve, captured images of the only wildcat in the world that can climb down, hang upside down from and hunt in trees. This cat has striking, cloud-shaped coat patterns that help it camouflage into dense forest habitats and is aptly named, clouded leopard. It was spotted in the region after a gap of two years.

The species was also observed along with other small wildcats in a camera trap study published in May 2026 in small community-owned forests in Meghalaya.

The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is a medium-sized wild cat whose range extends across South and Southeast Asia. It is also an exceptional climber, with a body measuring up to 40-50 inches in size, with as long a tail.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Species, the clouded leopard is listed as vulnerable due to its rapidly declining population. Estimates suggest there are only between 3,700-5,580 mature individuals globally. In India, they are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which offers the highest level of legal protection.

Its population decline is owed to multifaceted threats, including habitat destruction, targeted hunting, and incidental deaths from snares intended for other animals. There is an urgent need for enhanced transboundary cooperation to safeguard the cat, particularly in regions where habitats and corridors cross international borders.

In a story that Mongabay-India published in January 2025, Imon Abedin, a wildlife biologist and PhD scholar, Department of Zoology, Bodoland University, said, “Climate change is expected to worsen habitat suitability, potentially causing up to 41% habitat loss across its current and historical range, according to the IUCN.”

Read more about how clouded leopards share habitats with species like the leopard cat and develop ways to survive competition.

Banner image: A clouded leopard in Aizawl Zoo, Mizoram. Image by Dr. Raju Kasambe via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).