On our way back to Oshakati from Opuwo we spotted three of these birds on the side of the road. They were walking along the road, it was really weird- so weird in fact that we turned around to take some pictures. At first we thought they were vultures because they were black and huge. Turns they were actually hornbills, the African Ground Hornbill to be exact. I read that they are quite rare and are listed as "vulnerable" in South Africa. Also, another interesting tidbit is that they will break windows with their beaks if they see their reflection in them- evidently thinking their reflection is another bird encroaching on their territory. They are quite different from the other hornbills we've encountered in Africa because of their size (1 meter tall) and the fact that they are "groud-dwelling" (despite this picture which provides evidence to the contrary)!
Here is a picture of the kind of hornbill we are used to, these guys are everywhere, the African Grey Hornbill. I just read on wiki that they are approximately 45 cm long.
On our way back to Oshakati from Opuwo we spotted three of these birds on the side of the road. They were walking along the road, it was really weird- so weird in fact that we turned around to take some pictures. At first we thought they were vultures because they were black and huge. Turns they were actually hornbills, the African Ground Hornbill to be exact. I read that they are quite rare and are listed as "vulnerable" in South Africa. Also, another interesting tidbit is that they will break windows with their beaks if they see their reflection in them- evidently thinking their reflection is another bird encroaching on their territory. They are quite different from the other hornbills we've encountered in Africa because of their size (1 meter tall) and the fact that they are "groud-dwelling" (despite this picture which provides evidence to the contrary)!
Here is a picture of the kind of hornbill we are used to, these guys are everywhere, the African Grey Hornbill. I just read on wiki that they are approximately 45 cm long.
No comments:
Post a Comment