These two Southern Ground Hornbill have been seen around the Conservancy for the last 6 weeks, which is very exciting for us.
The Southern Ground-Hornbill was Birdlife SA Bird of the Year last year. It is an iconic bird, endemic to Africa. It can be identified by its beautiful black and red colouration and is the largest of all hornbill species. I have included a chart below to help identify between male and female and their stages of development.
They face multiple threats including habitat loss and poisoning and as a result have been classified as ‘Vulnerable’ globally by the IUCN since 2010 and are ‘Endangered’ in South Africa.
If you happen to see them while you are in the area (or anywhere for that matter), please send us an email on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or send me a message on facebook with their location, date and time of sighting as we forward this information on to the Mabula Ground Hornbill project who are doing amazing work with the conservation of these beautiful birds.
More about Karkloof Conservation Centre.