It is one of the few hornbill species found in urban areas in many cities where they are able to make use of large trees in avenues.

It is found from the foothills of the Himalayas southwards, bounded to the west by the Indus system and to the east by the Ganges Delta.

[6] The species has been observed, usually in pairs, in Dharamsala town (Himachal Pradesh) at about 1500 to 1600 masl during summer and in the rainy season (May to September, 2017).

[4] The nesting season is April to June and the clutch varies from one to five very symmetrical white eggs.

[12] The regrowth of the female's feathers coincides with the maturity of the chicks, at which point the nest is broken open.

[4][13][14] A study at a nest near Mumbai noted that the key fruiting trees on which the hornbills fed were Streblus asper, Cansjera rheedii, Carissa carandas, Grewia tiliaefolia, Lannea coromandelica, Ficus spp., Sterculia urens and Securinega leucopyrus.

They are also known to take molluscs, scorpions, insects, small birds (they have been recorded removing and possibly preying on rose-ringed parakeet chicks[15]) and reptiles in their diet[16] They are known to feed on the fruits of Thevetia peruviana, which are known to be toxic to many vertebrates.