ground hornbill

Southern Ground Hornbill | Bucorvus leadbeateri

Conservation Status	Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1) http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/species.html
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Coraciiformes
Family:	Bucerotidae
Species:	Bucorvus  leadbeateri

facts

Height:	0,9 – 1,29m
Mass: (Female)	2,2 – 3,2kg
(Male)	3,5 – 4,2kg
Appearance: (Female)	Violet-blue skin on their throats.
(Male)	Considerably larger. Casque more developed.
Bill Length (Female)	16,8 – 21,5cm
(Male)	19 – 22,1cm
Wingspan:	1,2 – 1,8m
Lifespan:	30 – 40 years
Toes:	4
Eggs:	1 - 2
Egg Size:	7,4 x 5,1cm
Breeding period:	40 days
Breeding season:	October - November

The Southern Ground Hornbill or cafer (Bucorvus leadbeateri) is one of two species of ground hornbill and is the largest species of hornbill. It is 90 to 129cm (36 to 51 in) tall and weighs 2.2 to 6.2kg (4.8 to 13.6lbs), and males are considerably larger than females. It is characterized by its black coloration and vivid red patches of bare skin on the face and throat (yellow in juvenile birds). The white tips of the wings (primary feathers) seen in flight are another diagnostic characteristic. The beak is black and straight and presents a casque, which is more developed in males. Female Southern Ground Hornbills are smaller and have violet-blue skin on their throats.

Roode originally received 6 Southern Ground Hornbills from the Pretoria Zoo. The Southern Ground hornbill lays 2 eggs at a time, one called Abel and the other Cain (associated with biblical history). When the eggs hatch, Cain - the stronger of the two chicks, kills Abel. The Pretoria Zoo rescues all the Abel’s and sends them to centers like HESC for safe-keeping. Anne Turner from the Ground hornbill Study group recently took them back after they had grown strong, and replaced them with a male and female.

The Southern Ground-hornbill is carnivorous.  It feeds on snakes, lizards, frogs, snails and insects, as well as on small mammals, such as hares and squirrels.  They sometimes consume vegetation and scavenge.
The Southern Ground-hornbill spends its time walking slowly along the ground in search of food. It walks with its stubby toes elevated, almost walking on tip-toe. It forages on the ground, digging for food with its bill. They gather in groups in order to hunt more difficult prey like snakes. They use their powerful bill to kill prey, which are pursued and dismembered by several group members at once.
They live in groups of between 2 and 12 birds, and occupy and defend large territories of up to 100 square kilometres.  These groups include a single or dominant breeding pair, with male and female helpers of various ages.
In typical territorial behaviour they may attack their own reflections if they see themselves in house or car windows, breaking them.  Adult females will either move to other groups in the vicinity, or live by themselves if food is plentiful. They also roost in trees. 

Conservationists collect those hatchlings left to starve, and raise them by hand in order to reintroduce them into the wild. The hand-rearing of Southern Ground-Hornbills hatchlings is part of a wide ranging project in South Africa.
The bird species is classified as vulnerable, but it is a lot more threatened than previously thought. As a result the bird's status could change to endangered. This species is mainly confined to national reserves and parks, but its habitat is threatened by human development. For now however, it remains common and widespread, except in some areas of South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Southern Ground-Hornbills breed between October and December.  They nest in natural cavities and holes, in dead or live trees, and in cliffs.  They do not seal the entrance to the nest, which is is lined with dry leaves and grasses. It is built by the breeding pair and helpers, it. The female usually lays two eggs, but only raises one of the chicks. Incubation lasts about 40 days and is performed by the female, who is fed by the group members.  The first egg hatches about 3 – 5 days before the second.
The first chick weighs about 250 grams, while the second one hatches at about 60 grams.  The older chick out-competes its younger sibling for food which results in the younger chick dying within the first week.
The chick is fed 4-9 times a day by group members carrying a variety of food in the bill tip.  During the nesting period, members of the group provide the nesting pair with food.  Chicks fledge about 86 days after hatching, although the young remain dependent for several afterwards (sometimes up to a year).