Shubhobroto Ghosh

Early in the month of May 2026, an intriguing ornithological news emerged from Lodi Gardens in New Delhi. A female Oriental Pied Hornbill, a bird that is not normally recorded within the limits of the city, was observed in the garden. Although there are historical records of this bird being seen within the limits of Delhi city, this unusual sighting piqued the interest of birdwatchers and visitors to the garden alike. Historical records of the Oriental Pied Hornbill in Delhi are primarily sightings of rare vagrants or wandering individuals travelling from sub-Himalayan habitats like Uttarakhand. Early historical records from 1931 to 1945 by ornithologist Sir Norman Frederick Frome noted occasional sightings in New Delhi gardens between November and February. In the 1970s and 1990s, sightings remained scarce. Anthony James Gaston noted it as occasional in Delhi in 1978, while a 1991 Kalpavriksh publication classified the bird as a rare vagrant in Delhi. On 4 May 2013, birdwatcher Yasser Arafat photographed a solitary male being mobbed by crows at the Aravalli Biodiversity Park. Sporadic, isolated sightings were reported in several locations in Delhi in 2018 and 2019. In 2026 itself, birdwatchers have documented an...read more on NOPR