# Southern Ground Hornbill (*Bucorvus leadbeateri*) The Southern Ground Hornbill is a large, colorful bird that walks on the ground. They have big, bright beaks and can make loud calls. These birds are social and often travel in groups, looking for food together. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Savannas ![Southern Ground Hornbill](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Bucorvus_leadbeateri_%28Mfuwe%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bucorvus_leadbeateri_%28Mfuwe%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Southern Ground Hornbill is a very large, black bird with striking bare patches of bright red skin around its eyes and on its throat. Males have a more vivid red pouch, contrasting with their dark plumage and robust beak. They have surprisingly long, noticeable eyelashes. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Bucerotiformes - **Family:** Bucorvidae - **Genus:** Bucorvus ## Interesting facts - Only the dominant pair breeds, with the whole family helping raise chicks. - Southern Ground Hornbills are one of the heaviest flying birds in the world! - These birds have surprisingly long, thick eyelashes, like a supermodel! - They 'march' through grasslands, often walking over 10 kilometers a day! ## Special abilities - **Booming Voicebox:** Southern Ground Hornbills can make deep, booming calls because of their inflatable throat sac, that helps them communicate across vast distances. - **Poison Predator:** Southern Ground Hornbills can safely eat venomous snakes and scorpions because of their tough skin and quick reflexes. - **Teamwork Hunter:** Southern Ground Hornbills can hunt cooperatively in groups because they live in family units, that helps them catch larger prey. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 90-129 cm - **Wingspan:** 120-180 cm - **Weight:** 2.2-6.2 kg - **Lifespan:** 30-60 years - **Speed:** 35 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-2 - **Incubation:** 37-43 days ## Diet & Feeding These big birds mostly eat creepy crawlies and small animals they find on the ground! - **Primary Foods:** Insects, Spiders, Scorpions, Lizards, Snakes, Rodents - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Mozambique Spitting Cobra (*Naja mossambica*) — Preys on venomous snakes. - **Hunts:** Striped Skink (*Trachylepis striata*) — Consumes various species of skinks. - **Hunts:** Multimammate Mouse (*Mastomys coucha*) — Preys on common African rodents. - **Eaten by:** [Leopard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leopard) (*Panthera pardus*) — Can prey on young or sick individuals. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Savanna](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/savanna): This habitat trait denotes species native to savannas, which are grasslands with scattered trees, typically found in tropical or subtropical regions with distinct wet and dry seasons. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch these birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. They are wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Southern Ground Hornbill? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Southern Ground Hornbill? 90-129 cm ### What is Southern Ground Hornbill's wingspan? 120-180 cm ### How much does Southern Ground Hornbill weigh? 2.2-6.2 kg ### How long does Southern Ground Hornbill live? 30-60 years ### How fast can Southern Ground Hornbill move? 35 km/h ### What does Southern Ground Hornbill eat? These big birds mostly eat creepy crawlies and small animals they find on the ground! ### Where is Southern Ground Hornbill usually found? Savannas ## Where to spot - [Zoo de Lunaret](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zoo-de-lunaret) — Occitania, FR · Zoo ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Southern Ground Hornbill: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/southern-ground-hornbill)