Southern ground hornbills are charismatic birds with their large size, contrasting colours, and rumbling calls. It is not surprising that, within their range across Africa, they have great cultural importance. They are believed to bring bad luck, predict death, provide protection against evil spirits and lighting, bring rain, indicate changes in season, and enable altered states of perception. Protecting these birds is essential for conserving the culture and biodiversity of Africa.
Some interesting facts
Southern ground hornbills are large black birds with distinctive red wattle. They are the world’s largest hornbill species, standing 90-130 cm high. The purple mark on their throat can distinguish females. Juveniles have grey wattles that gradually change to yellow, then pink before they mature to red.
Southern ground hornbills live in groups of 2-9 members, consisting of the dominant pair and their male offspring from previous years. The younger birds assist the dominant male with finding food for the female and chick during the breeding season. They nest in the hollows of large trees. They usually lay 2 eggs, but only one chick will survive.
They spend most of their time on the ground foraging for insects, arachnids, snails, frogs, reptiles, and small mammals.
Conservation status
Southern ground hornbills are listed as vulnerable globally and as endangered in South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, and Namibia. Population data is lacking in most parts of their range, so their current population number is unknown, but they have lost 20% of their habitat over the last 15 years.
Habitat loss has been chiefly due to clearance of land for agriculture, and habitat degradation due to grazing by livestock. Fires and storms can also destroy suitable nesting sites, forcing ground hornbills to find new nesting sites and, possibly, a new home range.
Furthermore, due to secondary poisoning, trade, and persecution, their population is rapidly declining in South Africa and other countries. Birds sometimes break windowpanes when they attack their reflection, leading to persecution. The bird is sometimes killed for traditional uses, but their cultural significance provides more protection than harm. Because they are long-lived, slow-breeding birds, their population stability is especially vulnerable to unnatural deaths.
Climate change could pose a threat to southern ground hornbills. They are sensitive to heat and will seek shade when air temperatures increase above 26°C. Therefore, increased average daytime temperatures and heat waves could reduce the amount of time they forage during the day before it gets too hot. This could lead to increased mortalities and decreased reproductive success.
Conservation initiatives
Birdlife South Africa and the Mabula Ground Hornbill Project have several conservation initiatives, such as hand-rearing second-hatched chicks for rehabilitation and re-introduction. Since the second-hatched chick will starve in the nest due to sibling competition, chicks are removed from their nests and hand-reared. After appropriate training and rehabilitation, they are released at suitable sites to establish new family groups or supplement existing groups.
Conservation status
- The counting and monitoring of populations.
- Research on behaviour and ecology.
- Artificial nest-site provision.
- Removal of threats from habitats.
- Awareness and education campaigns for the public.
Southern ground hornbills are unique, beautiful birds of great cultural significance. Unfortunately, they are threatened by habitat loss, human-caused mortalities, and climate change. We can protect these birds by raising awareness and supporting conservation projects.
References
- Coetzee, H., Nell, W. & van Rensburg, L. 2014. An exploration of cultural beliefs and practices across the Southern Ground-Hornbill’s range in Africa. J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine 10, 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-10-28
- BirdLife International. Bucorvus leadbeateri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22682638A92955067. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22682638A92955067.en. Accessed on 16 October 2024.
- Mabula Ground Hornbill Project. 2024. https://ground-hornbill.org.za/. Accessed on 16 October 2024.
- Wildlife Act. 2024. About: Southern ground hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri). https://www.wildlifeact.com/about-wildlife-act/wildlife-species/southern-ground-hornbill-bucorvus-leadbeateri. Accessed on 16 October 2024.
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A Favourite South African Bird
Hornbills are entertaining birds to watch with interesting behavior patterns. All species of hornbills, excluding the ground hornbill, share an intriguing nesting method. They are monogamous, with a pair bond normally lasting only a single season. When a pair bonds, the male will courtship feed the female. Without further ado let’s take a closer look at the Hornbill Family.
