Observations of Southern Ground-Hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri groups in the Kafue National Park, Zambia

Abstract

Zambia represents a core part of the Southern Ground-Hornbill’s Bucorvus leadbeateri distribution, yet empirical information on the country’s population is scant. From February to September 2017, ground-hornbill sightings were recorded in Kafue National Park in western Zambia to describe population demography. From 49 uniquely identified groups, the mean group size was 3.8 (SE: 0.19, range 1–7), of which 41% included birds less than four years old. Although these observations are quantitatively limited, they provide the first information on group size and composition in the country, as well as an indication of high densities and reproductive output relative to the well-studied peripheral population in South Africa.