Nicknamed the ‘thunderbird,’ the Southern Ground-Hornbill is revered by several African communities as the harbinger of rain.
They will eat anything they can overpower, their diet usually consists of snakes, reptiles, amphibians and even small mammals like rodents.
After capturing their meal, they often toss the item in the air before catching it and swallowing it whole!
Sadly, this bird is at risk of extinction. The number of Southern Ground-Hornbills outside formally protected areas in South Africa is declining due to loss of habitat, poisoning, persecution and electrocution.
