Hornbills of South Africa | Traveling For Wild Animals

Hornbills are a family members of birds located in subtropical Africa, Asia and also Melanesia (Papua Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, and also Vanuatu).

Of the 24 varieties of hornbills in Africa, 6 of them are located in South Africa. As well as all of these hornbills of South Africa are located in Kruger National Forest.

These arboreal or semi-terrestrial birds differ in dimension (the Southern ground hornbill is the biggest hornbill varieties in South Africa) and also have an omnivorous diet plan. 

Their  big costs are extremely distinctive and also hefty, and also are sustained by effective neck muscle mass. This big costs is made use of in grooming, foraging, nest building, and also combating. Despite the fact that their costs look quite strong, they are light and also honey-combed with air pockets. Some hornbills are furnished with a horn-like casque (bigger in men) that stands out of the top of their costs .

Hornbills are virginal and also they nest in tree trunks and also rock tooth cavities. When nesting, the women seals herself up inside the nesting dental caries by obstructing the entryway with mud, droppings, and also thrown up food. She leaves a slim port that they male usages to feed the grown-up woman with. This develops an almost predator-proof nest. She will certainly remain closed inside the dental caries for regarding 2.5 months. This actions guarantees that the chicks are completely secured versus predation.

The hornbill is an omnivorous bird and also feeds upon invertebrates, tiny animals, tiny reptiles, birds eggs, birds nestlings, seeds, and also fruits. They appear to be extremely keen on figs.

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Crowned Hornbill (Lophoceros alboterminatus)

Size: 19.5 – 21 inches Weight: 8 ounces

Preservation standing: Least issue (IUCN Red Listing 2016)

Established in forests, the crowned hornbill (Lophoceros alboterminatus) has dark brownish tuft, yellow eyes, white stubborn belly, and also is the only hornbill in South Africa that has a yellow strip at the base of its costs. You can locate crowned hornbills foraging in teams around the woodland cover. They can choose bugs off plant life and also can additionally capture flying bugs airborne.

Their diet plan contains invertebrates and also tiny pets, and also in the winter season they’ll supplement their diet plan with fruits.

Southern Ground hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri)

Size: 43 inches, Weight: 8.3 extra pounds

Life span: 70 years

Preservation standing: Prone (IUCN Red Listing 2016)

The biggest southern African hornbills, the Southern ground hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) is a threatened bird and also any type of experience with these extraordinary pets is remarkable. They can gauge over 3 feet high, weight as much as 14 extra pounds, and also have a wingspan of regarding 5 feet. Their plus size and also their red face skin makes them simple to recognize in the area.

You can see these big birds walking the savanna in tiny family members teams, sometimes as much as 12 people. We saw the person in the image with an additional grown-up and also an adolescent (adolescent southerly ground hornbills have yellow face markings as opposed to red). We observed them for some time as they were foraging for bugs. Once they had actually located one, they would certainly bring it around (as in the image), revealing their locate to the various other member of the family as if they were extremely pleased with it. 

Southern ground hornbills have a lengthy life expectancy and also can measure up to 70 years old in the wild. Youthful birds don’t get to maturation up until they have to do with ten years old.

To find out more regarding the preservation initiatives to conserve the Southern Ground hornbill see Mabula Ground-Hornbill Job. You can send your southerly ground hornbill discoveries straight on their internet site or by emailing them at esearch@ground-hornbill.org.za.

Southern red-billed hornbill (Tockus rofurostris)

Size: 15.5 – 29 inches, Weight: 4.9 ounces

Preservation standing: Least issue (IUCN Red Listing 2016)

The Southern red-billed hornbill (Tockus rofurostris) is a medium-sized hornbill that can be differentiated by its yellow eyes, red beak, an a black spot in it reduced jaw.

Southern red-billed hornbills occupy the savannah and also open forests along riverine meadows. They can additionally be located in semi-desert like in the Kalahari.

While you can locate southerly red-billed hornbills in trees, they forage for victimize the ground. Their diet plan is generally invertebrates, although sometimes will victimize tiny rats, birds nestlings, reptiles, and also some fruits. They will certainly look for tiny beetles and also fly larvae by excavating in dirt or in pet dung.

Found typically in sets or in tiny teams, they prefer Mopane woodlands, thornveld, savannah and also various other completely dry environments. Throughout the completely dry period when not reproducing, they end up being rather nomadic in many locations and also groups might create, feeding with each other and also collecting at water openings in the savanna where dung stacks and also food abound, however typically going back to roost in their region.

Southern yellow-billed hornbill (Tockus leucomelas)

Size: 19 – 23.5 inches, Weight: 4.6 – 8.5 ounces

Preservation standing: Least issue (IUCN Red Listing 2016)

With an array comparable to that of the African grey hornbill, the Southern yellow-billed hornbill (Tockus leucomelas) is an extremely interested bird and also amusing to enjoy. 

Southern yellow-billed hornbills occupy the savannah and also open forests, along riverine meadows. They can additionally be located in semi-desert like the Kalahari.

They feed upon the ground, and also search in the ground cover for tiny invertebrates. When readily available, they will certainly consume tiny rats, birds eggs, and also nestlings. They are territorial, and also are located in sets or in tiny family members groups. The category name “Tockus” describes the unique “tock tock tock” call these hornbills make.

Throughout among our brows through to the Kgalagadi Transfontier National Forest, we were remaining in a cabin at Urikaruus Wild Camp when a faucet on the home window glass woke us up. There were 2 southerly yellow-billed hornbills ‘knocking’ at our home window! We thought they saw their very own representation in the glass and also weren’t entertained by it! This is because, to them, they are battling a burglar when they see their representation.

Whenever we see these hornbills, we attempt and also follow them for some time as they such as to explore every little thing and also they amuse us for hrs. 

African grey hornbill (Lophoceros nasutus)

Size: 15.5 – 18.5 inches, Weight: 5.5 ounces

Life span: twenty years

Preservation standing: Least issue (IUCN Red Listing 2016)

This medium-sized hornbill can be differentiated from the various other hornbills of South Africa by their big black down-curved costs and also obvious casque. 

African grey hornbills (Lophoceros nasutus) are territorial and also can be located in resident sets throughout their breeding period or in big groups throughout non reproduction period. They prefer woody environments and also big thickets. 

The trumpeter hornbill is omnivorous. Its diet plan contains big bugs, crabs, eggs, nestlings, reptiles, tiny birds, and also numerous fruits. They are specifically keen on the fruits of the Natal Mahogany tree and also figs. They can invest hrs foraging in a solitary tree.

With an array extremely comparable to that of Southern yellow hornbills, the African grey hornbill (Lophoceros nasutus) is distinct from various other hornbills by the white markings on the reduced jaw.

Established in woodlands, the trumpeter hornbill (Lophoceros alboterminatus) has mainly black tuft with a white stubborn belly. It’s the hornbill varieties in Kruger that we locate most tough to area.

Their diet plan contains fruit (their faves are figs, berries, and also berries) and also delight in foraging in thick vegetation where they search for invertebrates and also nestlings.

Trumpeter hornbills are typically located in sets (the reproduction set), or in tiny family members teams of 3 to 5 people. Nevertheless, this hornbill varieties consistently collects with various other trumpeters to create teams of a couple of lots. They roost in big thick trees in groups of as much as 200 people. At dawn sets of trumpeters will certainly go out to forage in various instructions.

Where to see the hornbills of South Africa

To see hornbills in Africa, your best option is to go out to north South Africa. Kruger National Forest is the wonderful area, where you can locate all the hornbills in South Africa. We specifically like the north of the park, where the camps are quieter. We specifically like Punda Maria remainder camp, Letaba remainder camp, and also Tsendze rustic camp.

Cristina Garcia

Zoologist and also wild animals professional photographer. She has actually operated in the area with jackals, wolves, cheetahs, & leopards. She offers on the Board of Supervisors of SEE Turtles, a charitable sea turtle preservation company.

Review her blog posts at Traveling For Wild Animals and also see even more of her operate at Genuinely Wild, & Our Wild Lawn.