Southern Ground Hornbills

There’s a massive bird as big as a Turkey wandering through the close-cropped grass. It has a strange-shaped bill, a large red throat pouch and sturdy legs. It’s a Southern Ground Hornbill, Bucorvus leadbeateri. The females have a small violet-blue patch their throat. I can just see that on this one:

The female has caught what looks like a very long-tailed Lizard.

The male looks just as impressive as the female. They can live for fifty or sixty years and even up to 70 years in captivity.

Southern Ground Hornbills are cooperative breeders. Each breeding pair is always accompanied by at least two helpers. Helping a breeding pair is essential preparation for successful breeding by the helper. They need at least six years experience as a nursery assistant to be able to breed successfully themselves.

They lay between one and three eggs but only one chick ever fledges because it always eats any others.

It’s a strange, beautiful, cooperative, brutal life out there.