Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) Fact Sheet: Summary

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Bucerotiformes

Family: Bucerotiformes

Genus: Bucorvus

Species: Bucorvus leadbeateri (Vigors, 1825) – Southern Ground Hornbill

Body Weight
Male: 3500-6180 g (7.7-13.6 lb)
Female: 2230-4580 g (4.9-10.1 lb)

Bill Length
Male: 190-221 mm (0.6-0.7 ft)
Female: 168-215 mm (0.6-0.7 ft)

Tail Length
Male: 300-360 mm (1-1.2 ft)
Female: 290-340 mm (1-1.1 ft)

Adult Appearance: Overall black plumage with white primary feathers on the wings. Bill black with a large casque on top, near the base. Bright-red exposed skin on the throat extends onto the face and surrounds the eye. Females often with a violet-blue patch on the throat and neck or spots on the facial skin (does not ring the eye as with Northern Ground Hornbills).

Range: Southern Africa from Kenya through the Eastern Cape in South Africa. Sympatric with the Northern Ground Hornbill in southern Kenya.

Habitat: Woodland and savanna habitat from sea level to c.3,000 m (9,843 ft).

IUCN Status
Vulnerable (2016 assessment)

CITES Status
Not listed

Population in Wild: Global population not quantified. In South Africa, 1,500-2,000 individuals; range shrinking within the country and numbers on the decline.

Locomotion: Walk and run on the ground; rarely hop. Strong, heavy flight; wing beats deep. Capable of carrying large food masses in the bill when in flight.

Activity Cycle: Active in daylight and roost in trees at night. Typically become active near dawn when group members produce deep, booming territorial calls before heading off to forage.

Social Groups: Live in family groups consisting of a dominant adult male and female pair and their offspring. Dominant pair are the sole individuals to reproduce. Lone individuals are most often females.

Diet: Generalists. Birds consume a variety of animals, eating any animal that can be overcome. Reptiles, amphibians, snails, and insects are commonly taken. Rarely consume carrion.

Predators: Leopards and Martial Eagle prey on all ages. Chick-specific predators include genet and snakes.

Sexual Maturity: Males and females first reproduce c. 4-6 years of age.

Incubation: Dominant female sits on eggs for c.40 days. Incubation begins immediately after the first egg is laid.

Clutch Size: 1-3 eggs; a 3-5 day interval separates laying of each egg.

Interclutch Interval: May not breed annually.

Hatch Weight: c. 82 g (3 oz)

Age at Flege: c. 3 months

Typical Life Expectancy:
Wild populations: No in-depth studies but perhaps about 30 years. For all hornbills, likely about 35-40 years. More research needed.

Feature Facts:

• Some cultures in Africa believe the birds are keepers of time and interpret the bird's characteristic call signals a change in season.
• ​This call, a four-note "hoo hoo hoo hoo", is actually a means for family units to advertise territory.
• ​The sounds produced may carry up to 4.5 km (2.8 mi).
• ​A group (family unit) consists of a dominant adult male and female pair and their offspring.
• Only the dominant (monogamous) pair breeds, but all members aid in providing food for the mother and chicks.
• Dietary items most commonly include reptiles, amphibians, snails, and insects.
• Estimated 75% population decline in next 75 years mainly from loss of habitat and poisoning
• Conservation program in South Africa to reintroduce species
• First pair Southern Ground Hornbill housed at San Diego Zoo in 1956