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Birds
Southern ground hornbill
Southern ground hornbill · Bucorvus leadbeateri
The Southern ground hornbill strides through the savannah with powerful steps, its red face and deep calls making it hard to miss.
Fact file
- Size
- Up to 1.2 metres tall, wingspan 1.8 metres, weighing up to 6 kg
- Males and females
- Females often have a blue patch on the throat, otherwise similar plumage
- Sounds
- Deep, drumming call, especially in the early morning
- Diet
- Hunts mainly small vertebrates, insects, amphibians and also eats fruit
- Offspring
- One to two eggs, usually only one chick survives after an incubation period of 40 days
How to identify Southern ground hornbill
The Southern ground hornbill is instantly recognisable by its bright red face and bare throat. The deep black plumage contrasts strongly with these striking patches of skin, with females often having a blue patch on the throat. The strong, sickle-shaped bill with its small casque is also clearly visible from a distance.
At up to one metre in body length and with a broad outline on sturdy legs, the Southern ground hornbill is one of the largest birds in southern Africa. Its broad, almost ground-level stance is a typical identifying feature, as it searches for food mainly on the ground.
More in the app
With Wildful Stories+ you also get in the app:
- general viewing tips
- 2 places where you can see Southern ground hornbill
Where Southern ground hornbill live
Discover Southern ground hornbill on your trip.
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