As we were making our way back to Tamboti camp in Kruger National park, we came across a group of Southern Ground Hornbills walking along the road. This was an amazing sight to see as this beautiful bird is extremely endangered. These birds are usually found in the savannas of South Africa, but there have been sightings in eastern jungles of Africa. To see a group of that size is quite rare and exciting. Since this bird is classified as threatened species on the ICUN Red Data List, we reported the sighting to the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT).
The Southern Ground Hornbill is one of Kruger National Parks big six birds. There are many reasons for this bird’s endangerment, but the most pressing is the degradation and destruction of their habitat due to urbanization and unsafe agricultural practices (Johnson). The EWT has been taking action to ensure the survival of this rare and beautiful specimen. If a Southern Ground Hornbill is spotted in Kruger national park it is advised to report the sighting to the park rangers. This way the EWT can locate suitable nests and remove chicks to bring them to a new location. The selected chicks are then taken and cared for until they are ready to be re-release into the wild. It is also important to locate the Ground Hornbills nesting areas to accurately monitor the current population.
Southern Ground Hornbills are usually found in groups of 2 to 11 with only one breeding pair. Females produce only one to two eggs every nine years during breeding season (in between October and march). Hatch-lings born into a battle for survival. If two eggs are laid, one will hatch approximately a week before the other, giving it a substantial head start (250kmg — 60kg). Once the second egg has hatched the two hatch-lings battle for food, but the first hatch-ling will more often than not dominate the food supply, “ultimately resulting in the death of the of the weaker one” (cooper, 2013). The EWT will take second born chick from different nests every breeding season to be fed and cared for until they are ready to be re-released into the wild.
Naturally these birds only raise one of their chicks every nine years making reproduction very slow. In-between 2001–2008 groups of Southern Ground Hornbills were monitored. Some groups actually produced one chick a year while others did not produce any chicks at all. These sporadic and unpredictable breeding patterns suggest that this species needs the help of humans to ensure survival. The overall population of the Southern Ground Hornbill has declined by over 50% with 10% over the last three decades. The population in Kruger National Park is now under 1600 and is likely to continue to decrease as their habitats diminish.
Works Cited
Johnson, Katy. “Help Find Ground Hornbill Nests.” Http://Www.krugerpark.co.za, http://www.krugerpark.co.za/krugerpark-times-6-2-help-find-nests-25289.html.
Cooper, Chloe. “Southern Ground Hornbill Conservation.” Africa Geographic, 15 Oct. 2013, https://africageographic.com/blog/southern-ground-hornbill-conservation/.
