Sightings of hornbills in the forest are no longer as common as before

In what minght deceivingly seem like an encouraging indicator to the casual bird watcher, hornbills nave oeen spotted flying in clusters over certain areas in Malaysia.

But don't be fooled. Those familiar with the bebavioural tendencies of this enigmatic bird know that the unusual sightings may be a sign of disturbances in the forest ecosystem.

"Hornbills typically fly for miles and miles foraging for food, but now that large tracts of forests have been removed, you see more clusters of them concentrated in specific areas," explains avid birdwatcher Mohd Raft Abdul Kudus.

"This is not agood sign, It suggests that hornbills have been robbed of their food source and large trees that they need for nesting."

Rafi spends his weekends exploring various well-known birding spots in Malaysia, which include Lake Kenyir, Pulau Pangkor, Langkawi, Genting Highlands, Taman Negara and the peat swamps of Lanjut in Pahang.