Today is Birding Big Day in South Africa, so in a clever twist of irony we’re showcasing a bird that none of the participants in the event is at all likely to encounter! 😀
Lophoceros (Tockus) bradfieldi
Bradfield’s Hornbill is found in only five Southern African countries: Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. According to the IUCN it is not in any imminent danger of extinction though it does note that the population is probably in decline due to habitat loss as a result of logging operations. They occur in savanna-woodland and feed mainly on invertebrates, small vertebrates, seeds and berries. They’re usually seen in pairs or small flocks.
Typical of most hornbills, Bradfield’s Hornbill also breeds in holes in trees in which the female is plastered inside with the (usually) three eggs for the 4 week incubation period while the male feeds her through a slit. She leaves the nest a few days after the chicks hatched to help the male feed them until they’re ready to leave the nest at almost 2 months old. The parents take care of the chicks for another month of so thereafter.
DeWetsWild 