Instagram – Dec 18, 2022 @ 12:00
The southern ground hornbill is endemic to southern Africa and is found in the areas of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, parts of Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique. This bird is the largest member of its genus and is the largest Hornbill species in Southern Africa at 1.1 m tall.
The IUCN currently classifies southern ground hornbills as “Vulnerable” globally, but classifies them as “Endangered” in South Africa. Researchers estimate that the bird’s original range in South Africa has shrunk by two-thirds over the past century, and by a fifth in the past 15 years alone.