Meet Our Animals > Southern Ground Hornbill

Quick Facts

Native to Southern and central Africa, in grasslands and scrublands

Primary Diet Rodents, snakes, lizards, frogs, bird eggs, nestling birds, and insects

Adult Weight 5 to 9 pounds

Lifespan Up to 70 years years

Status Vulnerable

Southern Ground Hornbill

In their small social groups, dominant males typically earn the rights to most breeding, but all members of the group cooperate to raise the offspring. Female chicks leave the group after about two years, while the young males remain for about 10 years.