The Ground-hornbills (Bucorvinae) are a subfamily of the hornbill family Bucerotidae, with a single genus Bucorvus and two extant species:
- Abyssinian Ground-hornbill Bucorvus abyssinicus (also known as Northern Ground-hornbill)
- Southern Ground-hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri
The subfamily is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa – Abyssinian Ground-hornbill being found in a belt from Senegal east to Ethiopia, with Southern Ground-hornbill occurring in the south and east of the continent.
A prehistoric ground-hornbill, Bucorvus brailloni, has been described from fossil bones.
Description:
Ground hornbills are large, with adults around a metre tall. Both species are ground-dwelling, unlike other hornbills.
Some ornithologists raise the Ground-hornbills to family level on account of this and other distinctive features.
Hornbill Information … Hornbill Index of Species … Hornbill Species Photo Gallery
