The ground hornbills (Bucorvidae) are a family of the order Bucerotiformes, with a single genus Bucorvus and two extant species. The family is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa: the Abyssinian ground hornbill occurs in a belt from Senegal east to Ethiopia, and the southern ground hornbill occurs in southern and East Africa.
Ground hornbills are large, with adults around a metre tall. Both species are ground-dwelling, unlike other hornbills. Also unlike most other hornbills, they are carnivorous and feed on insects, snakes, other birds, amphibians and even tortoises.[1] They are among the longest-lived of all birds,[2] and the larger southern species is possibly the slowest-breeding (triennially) and longest-lived of all birds.[3]
Taxonomy
The genus Bucorvus was introduced, originally as a subgenus, by the French naturalist René Lesson in 1830 with the Abyssinian ground hornbillBucorvus abyssinicus as the type species.[4][5] The generic name is derived from the name of the genus Buceros introduced by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 for the Asian hornbills where corvus is the Latin word for a "raven".[6]
northern Namibia and Angola to northern South Africa and southern Zimbabwe to Burundi and Kenya
A prehistoric ground hornbill, Bucorvus brailloni, has been described from fossil bones in Morocco, suggesting that prior to Quaternary glaciations the genus was either much more widespread or differently distributed.[9]
It is currently thought that the ground hornbills, along with Tockus and Tropicranus, are almost exclusively carnivorous[1] and lack the gular pouch that allows other, less closely related hornbill genera to store fruit.
References
^ abKinnaird Margaret F. and O‘Brien< Timothy G.; The Ecology and Conservation of Asian Hornbills: Farmers of the Forest; pp. 20-23. ISBN0226437124
^Wasser, D. E. and Sherman, P.W.; “Avian longevities and their interpretation under evolutionary theories of senescence” in Journal of Zoology 2 November 2009
^Skutch; Alexander Frank (author) and Gardner, Dana (illustrator) Helpers at birds' nests : a worldwide survey of cooperative breeding and related behavior pp. 69-71. Published 1987 by University of Iowa Press. ISBN0877451508
^Lesson, René (1830). Traité d'Ornithologie, ou Tableau Méthodique (in French). Vol. 1. Paris: F.G. Levrault. p. 256 (livre 4).
^Peters, James Lee, ed. (1945). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 5. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 272.
^Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 80. ISBN978-1-4081-2501-4.
^Gonzalez, J.-C.T.; Sheldon, B.C.; Collar, N.J.; Tobias, J.A. (2013). "A comprehensive molecular phylogeny for the hornbills (Aves: Bucerotidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 67 (2): 468–483. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2013.02.012. PMID 23438388.
^Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2019). "Mousebirds, Cuckoo Roller, trogons, hoopoes, hornbills". World Bird List Version 9.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
^Kemp, A. C. 1995 The Hornbills. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bucorvus.
February 17, 2023
ground, hornbill, ground, hornbills, bucorvidae, family, order, bucerotiformes, with, single, genus, bucorvus, extant, species, family, endemic, saharan, africa, abyssinian, ground, hornbill, occurs, belt, from, senegal, east, ethiopia, southern, ground, hornb. The ground hornbills Bucorvidae are a family of the order Bucerotiformes with a single genus Bucorvus and two extant species The family is endemic to sub Saharan Africa the Abyssinian ground hornbill occurs in a belt from Senegal east to Ethiopia and the southern ground hornbill occurs in southern and East Africa Ground hornbillTemporal range Middle Miocene to presentHead of the male Abyssinianground hornbill B abyssinicus Scientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder BucerotiformesFamily BucorvidaeBonaparte 1854Genus BucorvusLesson 1830SpeciesBucorvus leadbeateriBucorvus abyssinicus See text for the possible inclusion of BycanistesGround hornbills are large with adults around a metre tall Both species are ground dwelling unlike other hornbills Also unlike most other hornbills they are carnivorous and feed on insects snakes other birds amphibians and even tortoises 1 They are among the longest lived of all birds 2 and the larger southern species is possibly the slowest breeding triennially and longest lived of all birds 3 Taxonomy EditThe genus Bucorvus was introduced originally as a subgenus by the French naturalist Rene Lesson in 1830 with the Abyssinian ground hornbill Bucorvus abyssinicus as the type species 4 5 The generic name is derived from the name of the genus Buceros introduced by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 for the Asian hornbills where corvus is the Latin word for a raven 6 A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2013 found that the genus Bucorvus was sister to the rest of the hornbills 7 The genus Bucorvus contains two species 8 Image Scientific name Common Name Distribution Bucorvus abyssinicus Abyssinian ground hornbill also known as northern ground hornbill southern Mauritania Senegal and Guinea east to Eritrea Ethiopia north western Somalia north western Kenya and Uganda Bucorvus leadbeateri Southern ground hornbill northern Namibia and Angola to northern South Africa and southern Zimbabwe to Burundi and KenyaA prehistoric ground hornbill Bucorvus brailloni has been described from fossil bones in Morocco suggesting that prior to Quaternary glaciations the genus was either much more widespread or differently distributed 9 It is currently thought that the ground hornbills along with Tockus and Tropicranus are almost exclusively carnivorous 1 and lack the gular pouch that allows other less closely related hornbill genera to store fruit References Edit a b Kinnaird Margaret F and O Brien lt Timothy G The Ecology and Conservation of Asian Hornbills Farmers of the Forest pp 20 23 ISBN 0226437124 Wasser D E and Sherman P W Avian longevities and their interpretation under evolutionary theories of senescence in Journal of Zoology 2 November 2009 Skutch Alexander Frank author and Gardner Dana illustrator Helpers at birds nests a worldwide survey of cooperative breeding and related behavior pp 69 71 Published 1987 by University of Iowa Press ISBN 0877451508 Lesson Rene 1830 Traite d Ornithologie ou Tableau Methodique in French Vol 1 Paris F G Levrault p 256 livre 4 Peters James Lee ed 1945 Check list of Birds of the World Vol 5 Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard University Press p 272 Jobling James A 2010 The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names London Christopher Helm p 80 ISBN 978 1 4081 2501 4 Gonzalez J C T Sheldon B C Collar N J Tobias J A 2013 A comprehensive molecular phylogeny for the hornbills Aves Bucerotidae Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 67 2 468 483 doi 10 1016 j ympev 2013 02 012 PMID 23438388 Gill Frank Donsker David eds 2019 Mousebirds Cuckoo Roller trogons hoopoes hornbills World Bird List Version 9 2 International Ornithologists Union Retrieved 23 July 2019 Kemp A C 1995 The Hornbills Oxford University Press Oxford External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bucorvus Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ground hornbill amp oldid 1129769471, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
