Midwest Love Propels Global Impact

February 13 is Love Hornbills Day, which celebrates all species of hornbills that live on the continents of Asia and Africa. Founded in Southeast Asia, Love Hornbills Day was created to highlight the significance of hornbills in many cultures as symbols of love, fidelity and affection and highlight the lifelong bonds that male and female hornbills create. Today, this day plays a significant role as it raises awareness about the critical status of hornbills in the wild and engages the public to take action to protect them and their habitats.

As a keystone species, hornbills play an important role in their habitats. Known as the “gardeners of the forests,” hornbills disperse seeds across their vast home ranges. This essential process drives forest regeneration and promotes ecosystem health. With 26 of the 62 hornbill species red listed as Threatened or worse, it is imperative to act to recover and sustain their wild populations and habitats. The main cause of declining populations are the escalating threats from habitat loss and poaching. But hope is not lost; there are many organizations, including the Indianapolis Zoo, working to save these species and their habitats through collaborative conservation action.

The Indianapolis Zoo actively participates in hornbill conservation in both the Africa and Asia though the Zoo’s conservation grant program and the AZA SAFE Asian Hornbill.

The Global Center for Species Survival at the Indianapolis Zoo supports two field projects in Africa advancing the work of the IUCN SSC Hornbill Specialist Group (HSG), just one example the Zoo’s conservation grant program. Both efforts support the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project and focus on species assessments for ground hornbills (southern and northern species) to inform HSG action plans.

In addition, the Zoo became a program partner of SAFE Asian Hornbill (SAFE AH) in 2025 developing a second plan for the SAFE program. This new plan expands the focus to 21 species, that are Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered, across six countries. Since its inception in 2020, SAFE AH has collaborated closely with the SSC HSG and field partners to support conservation action. The goal of the new SAFE Asian Hornbill five-year plan is to “support and expand effective partnership between AZA member organizations and in-country conservation partners to advance Asian hornbill species recovery and sustainability in the wild.” Key objectives of the plan focus on increasing partner engagement; expanding AZA partner opportunities to

participate in Asian hornbill conservation; establishing resources (fiscal and expertise) to support capacity building of field partners and collaborating to expand the capacity of AZA organizations to amplify messaging about the conservation of Asian hornbills. Also, the implementation of a detailed evaluation plan will allow for of a measurable impact across the next five years.

The Indianapolis Zoo is proud to be a partner in supporting hornbill conservation. Participating in conservation awareness events like Love Hornbills Day is a key component of the Zoo’s role in advancing conservation of all species. Please join the celebration of this amazing group of birds and their importance on February 13. #LoveHornbillsDay

By Michelle Kolar, Director of Education & Co-Leader SAFE Asian Hornbill

Published February 12, 2026