BUCORVO DELL’ABISSINIA

  • Common Name:
    ABYSSINIAN GROUND HORNBILL

    Scientific name:
    Bucorvus abyssinicus

    Class:
    Birds

    Order:
    Bucerotiformes

    Family:
    Bucorvidae

    Origin:
    Sub-Saharan Africa, from Ethiopia to the Atlantic coast

    Diet:
    Mainly small vertebrates and arthropods

    Habitat:
    Savannas and semi-desert areas with low vegetation

    Reproduction:
    40-day incubation; lays 1 to 3 eggs

    Abyssinian ground hornbills are mostly terrestrial birds that spend much of their day walking long distances through grass and low vegetation in search of food. Their plumage is predominantly black, with the exception of white flight feathers that are visible during their short flights.
    One of their most distinctive features is their large bill topped with a prominent casque, and a wide throat pouch — blue in females and blue-and-red in adult males. These hornbills form monogamous pairs and nest in tree cavities near the ground or among rocks. The female stays in the nest throughout the incubation period, while the male provides food.
    When the chicks are about 80 days old, they leave the nest and begin to follow their parents in search of food. Juveniles remain with the family group for 2 to 3 years before leaving to form new pairs.
    Abyssinian ground hornbills are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss and continued hunting in some native regions. Their slow reproductive rate makes them especially vulnerable.

  • Abyssinian ground hornbills are mostly terrestrial birds that spend much of their day walking long distances through grass and low vegetation in search of food. Their plumage is predominantly black, with the exception of white flight feathers that are visible during their short flights. One of their most distinctive features is their large bill topped with a prominent casque, and a wide throat pouch — blue in females and blue-and-red in adult males. These hornbills form monogamous pairs and nest in tree cavities near the ground or among rocks. The female stays in the nest throughout the incubation period, while the male provides food. When the chicks are about 80 days old, they leave the nest and begin to follow their parents in search of food. Juveniles remain with the family group for 2 to 3 years before leaving to form new pairs. Abyssinian ground hornbills are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss and continued hunting in some native regions. Their slow reproductive rate makes them especially vulnerable.