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DeWetsWild

he environmental NGO Bird Life South Africa has predators and their diet ranges from small fry like insects,
designated the Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus snails, lizards and frogs to large snakes and mammals up to
Tleadbeateri) as South Africa’s “Bird of the Year 2020”. the size of hares! They’re often encountered near veldfires
They are easily recognisable birds that occur in the northern and on burned areas, searching for exposed prey fleeing the
and eastern parts of South Africa. Turkey-sized, weighing up flames or scorched morsels ready for the picking. They’ve also
to 6 kilograms, very confident, and with the longest eyelashes learned that visitors to game reserves often offer handouts of
imaginable, they make great photographic subjects. food from inside motor vehicles, a practice that should not be
Ground hornbills are mostly found in woodland or Savannah encouraged as it is detrimental to their health and negatively
with large trees used for roosting and nesting in deep holes, affects their natural behaviour.
often in dead trees.
Unfortunately, the Southern Ground Hornbill is an
In the early morning, their booming, lion-like, calls can be endangered species in South Africa. Having lost much of its
heard up to 3 kilometres away. Groups of between 2 and habitat to farming practices and the felling of large trees across
11 individuals occupy home ranges of about 100 square their range, they’re also targeted by poachers supplying the
kilometres. These groups consist of a dominant alpha pair, traditional medicine (or muthi) trade. This, coupled with their
the only ones in the group that breed, and their “helpers” of slow reproductive rate, has pushed them to the brink of being
various ages. Though they lay clutches of two or three eggs wiped out. Today, the only place in the country where they
between September and December and incubate the eggs for can be found reliably is in the Kruger National Park, where
45 days, only one hatchling is raised to fledging, the others the population stands at about 700 individuals. In an effort to
either dying of neglect or being killed by their older sibling. boost their numbers conservators often remove the second-
The chick leaves its tree-hole nest at three months of age and laid egg from nests for hand-rearing and then later release
is then cared for by its parents and their helpers for up to two the young birds back into the wild, and in this way founder
years. This means that a pair of ground hornbills produces a populations have been re-established at a handful of reserves
maximum of one offspring only once in three years which is from which they’ve previously disappeared.
an exceptionally low rate of reproduction for a bird. Ground
hornbills can live for up to 30 years in the wild. Ed’s Note: Article and photos by Dries de Wet – do yourselves
a favour, visit the de Wets at https://dewetswild.com/
Though they are quite capable flyers, you’ll mostly see them Special mention – this month’s cover photo was provided by
striding across the savannah – they can walk distances up young Joubert de Wet – budding wildlife photographer of
to 11 km a day – searching for food. Ground hornbills are note! Dankie Joubert!!

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