India, June 8 -- Citizen science is yielding to wildlife conservationists and ornithologists a richness of data and behavioural observations from the field, the latter a much-neglected domain of natural history.

Retired banker Rajesh Khurana took time off from the ongoing renovations in his house to observe and photo-document the incredible work the male Grey hornbill puts in for nesting success. Khurana went for seven days to the Garden of Fragrance, Sector 36, Chandigarh, where a hornbill pair had a nest. This species has been bestowed the honorary title of the State Bird of Chandigarh (UT).

Khurana's dedication paid off richly, he took a video of the male bringing 22 fruits (probably figs) in one go to the barricaded nest in a tree h...