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Great portrait, Sprocky
Is that how you feel this morning??

these eyes and hairdressing

When I first saw these up close, I thought they must be one of the inspirations behind Jim Henson's Muppets..especially the eyes and eyelashes! That head shot is great...I was too nervous first time to get closer shots, and kept the windows closed.

On the S145

Great sighting of a "kill" WAC!!!
Beautiful mug shot of a beautiful bird Sprocky!!!!

Marx

We think this Hornbill visited a hair salon in the bush just before we took the photo in July 2010.

I saw a group of Southern Ground Hornbill north of Satara during my trip in September.

Image 1


Image 2


Image 3

Look at the 3 of them arnt they fab

I recently saw SGH picking at a wildebeest carcass - do they eat carrion or were they simply searching for the insects and larvae that might have found their way into the carcass?

thanks

Hi Ice,

A bit of both when it comes to carcasses. They will feed on bits of meat and also any insects and larvae they find there.

Their main diet is predominantly arthropods, but lizards, snakes, small mammals up to the size of a hare and even tortoise has featured in their food items.

(I posted a pic of one feeding on a Puffadder on the previous page if you have not seen it yet).

no, I hadn't but as you wrote, this was alive (wasn't it?) however, that is something else I've always wondered about: quite a few animals eat (venomous) snakes alive...now I imagine it may take a while until a snake dies in a stomach of whatever animal...wouldn't the predator be vulnerable to a snake bite inside his body?

Hi Ice,

The Hornbills remove the head of the snake and discard it before eating it, thereby rendering the snake safe(er) to eat.

clever Hornbill

Hi All,

I would just like to confirm, are these following a male and juvenile hornbills? (spotted 2 weeks ago in kruger)

thanks in advance:
L:

Male:


juvenile :