Introducing the Ground Hornbill. When they strut around the bush during tiny family gatherings, these gregarious birds, who are as large and black as turkeys and with beak like hatchets, make a distinctive impression. The Abyssinian ground hornbill (Bucorvus abyssinicus) is found solely north of the Equator, while the southern ground hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) is much more common and well-known.

Five Interesting Facts

In South Africa, the southern ground hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) has been listed as an endangered species since 2014. Persecution, poisoning, electrocution, and habitat loss or alteration are the main causes of this classification. To change this, conservationists are acting. The following fascinating bird facts may surprise you:

A chorus of low grunting notes, resembling the sound of a faraway lion, is produced by ground hornbills calling together before dawn. They inflate the large, crimson, balloon-like wattle beneath their bill to make their sounds louder.

When a group of ground hornbills is out foraging, small animals must stay low because these omnivores eat anything, including insects, lizards, small birds, rodents, tortoises, and snakes as large as puff adders.
A couple of ground hornbills only produces one brood of two babies every nine years, and only one of them survives since they are extremely sluggish breeders. As “helpers,” immature birds in the social group take care of the unattached chick.

In captivity, ground hornbills can live up to 70 years. This puts them on par with albatrosses as one of the longest-living birds in the world.

It was considered improper to kill ground hornbills in traditional African civilizations because they were thought to be signs of impending rain. Unfortunately, these birds are now in greater danger as a result of the spread of such ideas.