The carnivore patrol

Ok true – there are many fantastic birds and all of them special in their own way. Though few of them spend most of their time on the ground (!) and are exclusively carnivorous. Hence we need to tell you about the Ground Hornbill!

This beautiful and somewhat pre historic looking bird spends all hours of the day patrolling our grasslands. Living up to 50 years of age, they stay in pairs or small family groups, hunting anything edible they come across. From small mammals to birds and big reptiles, these birds are tough.

A stunning site to see, Ground Hornbills assist each other in their hunt. If a large snake or other prey is found, everybody may be involved in the killing, stabbing the prey with their powerful beaks. Hungry as they are, Ground Hornbills require huge territories of up to 20 square miles.

Spread in the massive Serengeti plains, seeing the birds therefore isn’t that easy. But of many places you have a chance to see them, the open grassland around Lamai Serengeti offers real good opportunities.

Picture courtesy of Elza Blankenburgs