The southern red-billed hornbill is a species of hornbill in the family Bucerotidae, which is native to the savannas and dryer bushlands of southern Africa. It is replaced by a near-relative, the Damara red-billed hornbill, in the arid woodlands of western Namibia. All five red-billed hornbills were formerly considered conspecific.
Region
Southern Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs widely across dry savannas, bushveld, and open woodlands of Botswana, Zimbabwe, northern South Africa, southern Zambia, and parts of Namibia and Mozambique. It favors acacia-dominated habitats, mopane woodland edges, and areas with scattered trees and open ground for foraging. It is replaced by the Damara red-billed hornbill in the more arid woodlands of western Namibia. The species readily uses agricultural mosaics and villages where suitable trees and foraging patches exist.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Southern red-billed hornbills are famous for their unique nesting strategy: the female seals herself inside a tree cavity, leaving only a narrow slit through which the male feeds her and the chicks. They forage mostly on the ground and help control insect populations, especially termites and beetles. They also disperse seeds, contributing to savanna ecosystem health.
Immature bird – T. r. rufirostris
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family groups, often foraging on the ground. Pairs are monogamous and nest in natural cavities; the female walls herself in using mud and droppings while the male provisions her. After the chicks hatch, the sealed entrance may be reopened and resealed as the brood grows.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include clucking, chattering, and piping calls, often delivered in sequences. Pairs may engage in antiphonal duets that carry across open savanna.
Plumage
Brownish-grey upperparts with white-spotted wing coverts and clean white underparts; long black tail with white outer feathers.
Diet
Opportunistic omnivore feeding mainly on insects such as termites, beetles, grasshoppers, and ants. Also takes spiders, scorpions, and small vertebrates like lizards or nestling birds when available. Supplements diet with fruits, seeds, and occasionally carrion.
Preferred Environment
Forages mostly on the ground in open savanna, along tracks, at termite mounds, and at the edges of woodland. Frequently searches around shrubs and fallen branches, flipping leaf litter to expose prey.
