On the occasion of Valentine's Day, Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan shared a series of tweets highlighting a ''beautiful love story'' featuring a hornbill couple. The pictures and videos which have been clicked by Mr Kaswan himself showcase the beautiful journey of the birds as they raise their children.
"Show me a more beautiful love story than this. The male Hornbill feeds the female, who has locked herself in a nest to raise the children. This he will do for a few months, daily," the video caption reads.
Watch the video here:
The clip shows a male Hornbill passing food and feeding his female partner with the help of his beak, who has sealed herself inside a nest. Mr Kaswan added that the male Hornbill will continue doing this for the next few months.
In a follow-up tweet, Mr Kaswan gave more details about the hornbills, who are also known as the "perfect couple".
''This is a story about hornbills which are the perfect couple and which are also called Gardner of the forest. How? There are 9 species of hornbills found in India. From Great to Grey. Hornbills are generally monogamous. The pair lasts long. Here a Wreathed Hornbill couple,'' he added.
The hornbill couple move together, live very long, and when expecting babies, they go nest hunting. Explaining the type of nest they prefer, he added, "It can be a natural cavity in a tree or nest of some other bird or their old nest."
Once the couple finds a suitable house, the female seals herself inside it and stays there for a period of three to four months, depending on the species, the officer said. During the entire process, the Great Hornbill male "tries to stay close to the family. For protection. Also during this time, he has to feed himself and stay alive."
Check out the other tweets in the thread:
Bird lovers on the internet were left amazed by the clip and shared their reactions in the comment section. One user wrote, '' Awesome story of trust,'' while another commented, '' Thanks for sharing a beautiful love story on a beautiful day ..'' A third added, '' Wow, amazing thread and capture ! Nature at its Best.'' Others added love and heart emojis expressing their delight.
