A large black hornbill that walks over the ground searching for small animals.
Adults are mostly black, with white wing feathers visible in flight. The face and throat are red; females have a violet-blue patch on the throat.
In South Africa’s Limpopo Valley, researchers tracked a recently established group of Southern Ground Hornbills for 14 months to study seasonal movements. In the summer-rainfall period, invertebrate food became more available and the group used a home range of 13,409 hectares. Winter foraging was more localized, with a 5,280-hectare range.
The authors linked the wider summer movements to seasonal food availability. Even a large bird can adjust its daily search area as food changes through the year. These measurements describe one group in a semi-arid landscape; they do not represent a fixed range size for hornbills in other places.
IUCN Red List · Vulnerable (VU) · Global
The IUCN Red List assessed the Southern Ground Hornbill as Vulnerable globally in 2025 and reports a decreasing population trend. This ground-dwelling bird uses large territories, and the assessment identifies habitat deterioration among its concerns. The Limpopo Valley tracking study shows how much land one group used in different seasons. Conservation planning needs to consider the wider foraging landscape around breeding sites as well as the sites themselves.