The Indian gray hornbill (Ocyceros birostris) is a tropical bird that can be found on the Indian subcontinent. It is mostly arboreal and is commonly seen in pairs. It is one of the few hornbill species found in urban areas in many cities where they can make use of large trees in avenues.
The Indian grey hornbill is a medium-sized bird with greyish-brown upper parts and a slight trace of a pale supercilium. The ear coverts are darker. The flight feathers of the wing are dark brown with a whitish tip. The tail has a white tip and a dark subterminal band. These birds have a red iris and the eyelids have eyelashes. The casque is short and pointed.
The male has a larger casque on a dark bill, and the culmen and lower mandible are yellowish. The bare skin around the eye is dark in the male, but sometimes pale reddish in females. The female has a more yellowish bill with black on the basal half and on the casque. The juveniles lack the casque, and the bare skin around the eye is dull orange.
Indian grey hornbills are found from the foothills of the Himalayas southwards, bounded to the west by the Indus system and to the east by the Ganges Delta. They don't migrate but may make local movements in the drier western region. Indian grey hornbills live in dry forests, savannas, rural gardens, and even in cities that have old avenue trees.
