Heat, Habitat & Ground Hornbills: Tracking Behaviour and Chick Growth in a Warming Landscape

by Ground-hornbill researchers Dr Kyle-Mark Middleton and Carrie Hickman Southern Ground-Hornbills are among Africa’s most iconic savanna birds, but their populations are declining. In addition to known threats like habitat loss and poisoning, there’s growing concern about how rising temperatures may affect their long-term persistence, especially given the vulnerability observed in other bird species living in hot climates. For the past 25 years, the APNR Ground-Hornbill Project, run by the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, has been at the forefront of studying the ecology of this species and informing conservation efforts. In this webinar, we’ll share our latest findings on how heat affects their behaviour, habitat use, egg investment, and chick growth. We will also discuss the surprising impacts of winter warming and whether their cooperative breeding strategy provides an advantage in coping with harsh environmental conditions. If you enjoy this video you can support Learn-the-Birds at https://ko-fi.com/derekkeats