Southern ground hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri
Named after British naturalist Benjamin Leadbeater.
In many traditional African cultures, the southern ground hornbill is known as the ‘rain bird’ due to its association with the arrival of rain.
The southern ground hornbill in a nutshell
- eats
- arthropods, snails, frogs, snakes, lizards, rats, hares, squirrels, turtles, fruits and seeds
- inhabits
- Southern Africa
- excels at
- living on the ground
Ground bird
The southern ground hornbill is a ground bird and its body is well adapted to moving about and living in this habitat. Southern ground hornbills have a large bill, head, and body, and their legs are sturdy in proportion to their body. Long eyelashes protect their pale yellow eyes effectively from sunlight and dirt. These eyelashes are not made up of hairs, such as in humans, but thin feathers.
Low call
Southern ground hornbills make little sound except during the breeding season, when they utter a low call that travels long distances and helps them find a mate. They do so by filling their throat pouch with air and then releasing it. The hornbills also use this call to communicate with family members.
Throat pouch
Adult male and female southern ground hornbills are easy to tell apart. The male hornbill has a completely red throat pouch, while the female has a violet patch under her bill.
Vulnerable
The southern ground hornbill lives in parts of Africa, but its population is declining. In 1992, there were about 1,400 adult birds living in northern South Africa, which means that the population of hornbills had declined by 50 percent. Human activities are reducing their habitat, and the birds are sometimes killed when they come onto private property.
