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Photo: Giles Laurent · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source ↗
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Geelbekneushoringvoël · Tockus leucomelas
Nicknamed the 'flying banana', this hornbill has a huge curved yellow bill and a black-and-white speckled body. It hops along the ground searching for insects, seeds, and small creatures. When nesting, the female seals herself inside a tree hole using mud and droppings, leaving only a narrow slit through which the male passes food.
Log your Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill sighting — free →How to identify it
A big down-curved bright yellow bill is the giveaway, separating it from the red-billed hornbill.
Listen for its call
Clucking 'tok-tok-tok-tok' that speeds up as it bows with wings spread.
Where to see it in Kruger
Widespread in dry woodland and bushveld across the park, often seen feeding on the ground near roads and camps.
Did you know
The mother walls herself inside a tree hole to raise chicks safely, and dad feeds the whole family through a tiny slit.
Often confused with
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