A sighting to remember.

On a lovely sunny spring morning driving on safari we had an experience that was really special.

We spotted four southern ground hornbills Bucorvus leadbeateri three adults and one immature; these are a really endangered species of bird, the same family as the common yellow-billed hornbill.(The same bird as zazu in the lion king movie.)

They feed on a great variety of prey including snakes, baby birds, insects, frogs, squirrels and different lizards including chameleons they live normally in in groups up to about 11 normally the breeding pair and about 9 sub-adults. They nest in tree hollows roughly 5m off the ground the nest is usually lined with dry leaves, the ground hornbill is found all the way from Kenya to South Africa. The total population is estimated at about
1500-2000.

On this occasion we witnessed the large female bird eating a flap-necked chameleon. What a special sighting..

From Brett have a good day and see you in the bush