In Touch with Nature – The Vulnerable Southern Ground Hornbill
Posted: August 26, 2026 Filed under: Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Photography, Poetry, Wildlife | Tags: #InTouchWithNature, #RobbieCheadle, Robbie Cheadle, South Africa, Southern Ground Hornbill, Wildlife, Writing to be Read 17 Comments
I was very excited to see a flock of nine southern ground hornbills during my recent trip to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. These birds are classified as endangered in South African, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini (previously Swaziland) and are listed internationally as vulnerable by the IUCN. I have only seen these birds once before in a national park and it was from a distance so I couldn’t get good photographs. I may never see another one of these birds so I will treasure these photographs.
Thunderbirds (freestyle poem)
Hearing the low
resonating rumble
you expected a lion
not a flock
of thunderbirds
Dominant pairs
performing
a deep-base duet
The bright red
balloon-like wattle
below their bills
acting like a drum
The echoing sound
amplified
by natural air pockets
inside their head bones
which magnify
their low, booming call
allowing it to carry
for over four kilometers
across the veld
Predators with feathers
small animals lie low
when a party
is out foraging
They snap up
lizards, small birds,
tortoises, rodents,
and even snakes
as big as puff adders
Endangered due
to slow breeding
a pair raising
only two chicks
in a nine year cycle
one of which
will survive
Not a lion
something much better
Interesting facts about Southern Ground Hornbills
- The southern ground hornbill is the largest hornbill species on Earth.
- These striking, turkey-sized birds stand up to 130 cm tall, weight between 3.3 and 4.4 kgs and have a wingspan reaching nearly 2 meters.
- These birds can fly up to 18 miles an hour.
- Their jet-black feathers, yellow eyes and bright red throats make these birds highly recognisable.
- Ground hornbills have lived up to 70 years in captivity. This makes them one of the world’s longest-lived birds.
- These birds are highly territorial with family groups of up to 10 individuals protecting large areas of territory.
- Ground hornbills are monogamous and pair for life unless their mate dies.
About Robbie Cheadle
Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.
Roberta has two published novels and a collection of short stories and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).
Roberta is also the author and illustrator of seventeen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of four poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.
Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5
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This segment of “In Touch with Nature” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.
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