Southern Red-billed Hornbill

The Southern Red-billed Hornbill is a slim, medium-sized hornbill of southern African savanna, part of a group of similar-looking red-billed hornbills that were once considered a single species. It is identified by its long, narrow, bright red bill.

Appearance

• Long, slender, downcurved red bill
• Dark greyish-brown to blackish upperparts with white spotting on the wing coverts
• White underparts and face with dark eye-stripes
• Slim body shape and long tail compared to yellow-billed relatives
• Sexes are similar, with females typically having a slightly smaller bill

Key field marks

• Thin, elongated, bright red bill (versus the thicker yellow bill of the Yellow-billed Hornbill)
• Slender build with heavily spotted black-and-white wings
• Bounding, undulating flight

Similar species

The Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill has a much larger, heavier yellow bill. Other red-billed hornbill species in the genus Tockus (such as the Northern Red-billed Hornbill and Damara Red-billed Hornbill) are very similar and best distinguished by range and subtle differences in bill shape and plumage spotting.

Habitat

This species inhabits dry savanna woodland, thornveld, and riverine bush, often in areas with sandy soils favored by termites.

Range

It occurs across southern Africa, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and parts of Botswana and Zambia, overlapping in range with the Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill in many areas.

Migration

It is sedentary and non-migratory, generally remaining in stable territories throughout the year.

Behavior

Southern Red-billed Hornbills are usually seen alone, in pairs, or in small family parties, foraging actively on the ground with a bouncing gait and taking short undulating flights between feeding areas.

Voice

Calls consist of loud, clucking "kuk-kuk-kuk" notes, often given in duet by paired birds accompanied by wing-raising displays.

Feeding

They specialize heavily on termites and ants, which they dig from the soil or leaf litter, supplementing this with other insects, small invertebrates, and occasionally seeds.

Nesting & breeding

As in other hornbills, the female seals herself into a tree cavity nest with a mud plug, leaving a narrow slit for the male to pass food through; she remains sealed in through incubation and early chick-rearing before breaking free.