A large bird that closely resembles a turkey or a vulture is the Abyssinian ground hornbill or northern ground hornbill (Bucorvus abyssinicus). It is diurnal and spends about 70% of its time drilling for food. It is an African bird that is located north of the equator and is one of two species of hornbill on the ground. It is the second-largest African hornbill species, exceeded only by the significantly larger southern terrestrial hornbill. Ground hornbills are commonly regarded as a subfamily of the broader hornbill family (Bucerotidae). They vary in many respects from the standard hornbill, however. Ground hornbills do not seal their nests, they walk, they lack a carotid artery and they have one more vertebrae instead of jumping (15 instead of 14). Some ornithologists in their own family, called Bucorvidae, categorize ground hornbills. They are mainly terrestrial dwellers. The generic name is derived from the name for the Asian hornbills of the genus Buceros introduced by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, where Corvus is the Latin word for a “raven.” Weighing around three kilograms, the Abyssinian Ground-hornbill has long bare legs for walking. The male has a pouch for the red throat and the female has a pouch for the blue throat. Long eyelashes are shaped by changed feathers, shielding their eyes from dust. A deep, booming hoo is a loud call. Neck wattle inflation is used to produce noises that are roaring or grunting. But for a reddish patch at the base of the jaw, the bill is long and black. A short open-ended black casque is on top of the bill. For all bare skin being wholly dark blue, the female is equivalent but smaller. There are dark sooty-brown juvenile birds with a smaller bill, with an incipient helmet. As the juvenile matures, which normally takes 3 years, the adults’ plumage, bare skin color, and helmet gradually grow. The average length is between 90 and 110 cm (35 to 43 in).
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill
Ground Hornbills eat small rats, lizards, and snakes and are omnivores. All kinds of insects, including beetles and caterpillars, are eaten. Their diet also contains seeds, fruit, and roots. Most of the time they spend in the wild foraging for food. The hornbills will also feed on the scraps of food killed by other species. There are long feathers in the Abyssinian ground hornbill that look like eyelashes that surround its eyes. These safeguard the eyes from injury. It is reportedly about 90 to 100 cm (35 to 39 in) long, about 110 cm (43 in) tall, and weighs about 4 kg (8.8 lb). In addition, certain vegetables, seeds, and groundnuts feed on them. From southern Mauritania, Senegal, and Guinea, east to Eritrea, Ethiopia, northwestern Somalia, northwestern Kenya, and Uganda, the Abyssinian ground hornbill is found in northern sub-Saharan Africa. It is also found in open habitats such as savannah, sub-desert scrub, and rocky regions, preferring short vegetation that allows its technique of visual foraging. When they are approximately four years old, they start breeding. The average clutch consists of two eggs, incubated for about a month by the female. The older chick typically competes with the younger one for feeding after the young hatch, and the younger one starves to death in most situations. The surviving chick remains in the nest for another three months and, after escaping for another nine months, continues to be fed by her parents. They can live 35–45 years in captivity. Ground hornbill classes have 2 to 100 square miles (5.2 to 259.0 km2) of area. Leopards and humans fell prey to the Abyssinian Ground hornbills mainly. In their tribal medicine, some tribes use the hornbill. They may also become victims of humans who move through the expansion of housing projects into their range. It is understood that ground hornbills attack their reflection in glass windows. This disturbing behavior can cause them to be killed by homeowners. For commercial hunters, Abyssinian ground hornbills are not a natural quarry, but in captivity, in zoos, they are not uncommon.
