Abyssinian Ground Hornbill
Bucorvus abyssinicus
The Abyssinian Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus abyssinicus) is a rare hornbill found in 18 countries, weighing about 4.0 kg. The Abyssinian ground hornbill or northern ground hornbill is an African bird, found north of the equator, and is one of two species of ground hornbill.
About the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill
The Abyssinian ground hornbill or northern ground hornbill is an African bird, found north of the equator, and is one of two species of ground hornbill. It is the second largest species of African hornbill, only surpassed by the slightly larger southern ground hornbill.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Abyssinian ground hornbill is a large, terrestrial hornbill with black body feathers and white primary feathers which are visible in flight. The adult male has a patch of bare blue skin around the eye and an inflatable patch of bare skin on the neck and throat which is red, apart from the upper throat which is blue. The bill is long and black except for a reddish patch at the base of the mandible. On top of the bill there is a short open-ended black casque. The female is similar but smaller with any bare skin being wholly dark blue. Voice: A deep booming uh-uh, uh-uh-uh which is far carrying and is normally made at dawn from either a perch or from the ground. The male and female sing in duets.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Abyssinian Ground Hornbill can be seen all year round, with peak activity in December. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Abyssinian Ground Hornbill?
- Abyssinian ground hornbill is a large, terrestrial hornbill with black body feathers and white primary feathers which are visible in flight. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Abyssinian Ground Hornbill?
- The Abyssinian Ground Hornbill is a huge sized bird weighing about 4.0 kg.
- Where can you see an Abyssinian Ground Hornbill?
- The Abyssinian Ground Hornbill occurs in 18 countries, including Uganda, Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal and the Gambia.
- What birds look similar to an Abyssinian Ground Hornbill?
- The Abyssinian Ground Hornbill is most easily confused with the Southern Ground Hornbill.
- Is the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill endangered?
- The Abyssinian Ground Hornbill is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill for real
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