Page 115 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - South Africa

FIELD GUIDE  113

Southern Ground Hornbill
Species: Bucorvus cafer • Relatives: Trumpeter Hornbill,
Silvery-Cheeked Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill
LC
Ground hornbills are rather fantastic turkey
lookalikes, with black feathers, white under-
wings, large casqued bills, conspicuous red
throat and eye wattles, and long fluttering
eyelashes. They are typically seen marching
along in small family parties in open habitats,
probing the ground for insects. Despite their
The secretary bird, the world’s most atypical raptor terrestrial habits, they are strong fliers. Their low,
booming call is most often heard shortly after
Secretary Bird dusk. The southern ground hornbill is confined
Species: Sagittarius serpentarius • Relatives: No close to the eastern part of the country, where it is
relatives, affinities uncertain most common in protected savannah and
LC woodland habitats, in particular the Kruger
National Park and Sabi Sands.
A bizarre grassland bird with long skinny legs, a
slender grey torso, long black tail and bare red
face-mask, the 1.5-m- (5-ft-) tall secretary bird
may have been named for its flaccid black
crest, which recalls the quills used by Victorian
secretaries. It is also claimed that “secretary” is a
corruption of the Arabic saqr-et-tair (hunt ing bird).
The family to which it belongs is thought to be
ancestral to all modern eagles, buzzards and
vultures. A terrestrial hunter, it feeds on snakes
and lizards, which it stamps to death in a flailing
dance ritual. It roosts in trees, but otherwise
flies only when disturbed. The southern ground hornbill, with large red wattles

Kori Bustard
Species: Ardeotis kori • Relatives: Stanley’s Bustard, Black-
Bellied Korhaan, Black Korhaan
LC
Loosely related to cranes but more sturdily built,
bustards and korhaans are medium to large
ground birds associated with open habitats. The
most conspicuous species is the kori bustard,
the world’s heaviest flying bird, weighing
up to 12.5 kg (28 lb) and standing about 1.3 m
The flightless ostrich is associated with open landscapes (4 ft 3 inches) tall. Usually rather measured and
stately in demeanour, it performs a manic
Common Ostrich courtship dance, raising and fanning its tail
Species: Struthio camelus • Relatives: No close relatives and flapping its wings up and down in
in South Africa apparent agitation.
LC
At a height of 2 m (7 ft 6 inches) and weigh ing
more than 100 kg (220 lb), ostriches are the
world’s largest birds. Two very similar species are
recognized, but the common ostrich (which has
pink legs, as opposed to the Somali ostrich’s blue
legs) is the only one to occur in South Africa. A
familiar resident of protected grassland areas, the
larger male has a handsome black-and-white
plumage, while the female is smaller and duller.
Ostriches are farmed in the Oudtshoorn area (and
elsewhere) for their feathers, eggs and low-
cholesterol meat. The kori bustard, the world’s heaviest flying bird
Key to Field Guide icons see p72

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