Kyle-Mark Middleton of the APNR Ground-Hornbill Project submitted this memorable clip.
The APNR Southern Ground-Hornbill Project is a long-running research and conservation initiative focused on protecting the endangered Southern Ground-Hornbill in the Greater Kruger region.
As part of the project, artificial nest boxes are provided for the birds. These are monitored by research cameras.
However, what happens when one of the birds notices the camera by its nest? This is exactly what happened and where things got interesting!
Research camera monitors breeding pair’s activity
The Southern Ground Hornbill is one of Africa’s most impressive and recognisable birds. As the largest species of hornbill in the world, it can stand over a metre tall and has a wingspan of nearly two metres.
They also have a lot of personality! It’s not just Red-Billed Hornbills, like Zazu from The Lion King, which are characters. Southern Ground-Hornbills also fit this description and are a treat to watch.
These two hornbills, a breeding pair, were being monitored closely by a research camera fitted onto the tree where their nest was secured.
For them, it appeared to be business as usual. One of them held a plant in its beak. The other roosted happily on a branch.
They were busy about their busy, quite happily feeding and walking up and down the broad branches of the tree.
Hornbill becomes aware of the camera
The birds spent some time hanging around their nest, when suddenly one of them looked up. It had noticed the camera!
Unsure what the camera was, it moved much closer… so close that the resulting image was ‘selfie’-like. In the background, the other hornbill could be seen settling into the nest.
The moment was striking and humorous.
Bird closes in to inspect the camera
Inspecting the camera, the hornbill even tilted its head. Curious to find out what the device was, it moved so close, that the eyelashes on its eyes became apparent.
When the bird couldn’t figure out what the camera was by just looking at it, it got a little more physical and decided to use its beak for the inspection.
Its large beak could be seen opening up in the close-up video footage.
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Bird’s curiosity destroys camera
The close, frontal view of the hornbill’s face was soon replaced by a blurred image. The bird had successfully damaged the camera.
While the camera was destroyed, the footage produced must have offered some of the most unique viewpoints ever seen of a Southern Ground-Hornbill.
An ongoing effort to protect Ground-Hornbills
According to the official site, the APNR Ground-Hornbill Project actively monitors 35 known nesting sites within the conservation, of which only five are natural; the remaining 30 are artificial nest boxes.
Since the project began in 2000, a total of 173 Ground-Hornbill chicks have successfully fledged from nests in the APNR. Remarkably, 143 of these chicks originated from artificial nests installed by the project. This highlights the critical role that artificial nesting sites play in supporting the southern Ground-Hornbill population in the region. Without them, we would likely see a significant decline in numbers.