Southern ground hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) showing its long curved bill with a casque (horn) on the top. This is the largest of the hornbills and

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Southern ground hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) showing its long curved bill with a casque (horn) on the top. This is the largest of the hornbills and is primarily ground-dwelling. It is entirely carnivorous, patrolling a large territory in a family group of up to eight birds. Some group members act as 'helpers' when the dominant pair nest. Its diet includes insects, reptiles and small mammals. The ground hornbill can reach over one metre in height and, at 65 years of age, it is one of the longest-lived birds in southern Africa. The southern ground hornbill is found in woodland and grassland habitats. Photographed in the Kruger National Park, South Africa.

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Size: 5105px × 3424px
Photo credit: © PETER CHADWICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: africa, african, animal, beak, bill, bird, birds, bucorvidae, bucorvus, carnivore, carnivorous, casque, ground, head, hornbill, kruger, leadbeateri, long-lived, national, nature, park, south, southern, standing, wattle, wildlife, zoology