Southern ground hornbill

What does a 29 km/h (18 mph) speed coupled with a massive wingspan bring to the table? A ‘vulnerable to extinction’ title isn’t something anybody would hope for

Derek Keats

We’ve all heard how good things take time, right? Well, Southern Ground Hornbills, the largest hornbill species, swear by this adage as one mating pair produces just two eggs every nine years, and before anyone points out their prolonged breeding practice, only one of the two chicks survives. Don’t you wish it were faster, given the Savannahs and woodlands of Africa are the only primary home of these black-bodied and curved-billed vulnerable species? Yeah, same.

Talking of distinct features, it possesses a bright red patch of skin on the face extending towards the neck region, which contains another speck of purple among the brood females. Now, that accounts for fashion differences among the two genders, though as far as the food choices are concerned, both factions love getting close to the ground and preying upon small insects, reptiles, and seeds.

Distribution

Country
Population est.
Status
Year
Comments
Angola
2016
Botswana
2016
Burundi
2016
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
2016
Eswatini
2016
Kenya
2016
Lesotho
2016
Malawi
2016
Mozambique
2016
Namibia
2016
Rwanda
2016
South Africa
2016
Tanzania
2016
Uganda
2016
Zambia
2016
Zimbabwe
2016

Did you know?

  • Known for being territorial and highly social birds that rear their offspring in groups, which involves extensive parental guidance and may last up to two years. This process is the longest of any bird species that has been observed.

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Terrestrial / Aquatic

Altricial / Precocial

Polygamous / Monogamous

Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic

Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd / Flock

Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

Migratory: Yes / No

Domesticated: Yes / No

Dangerous: Yes / No