Least Concern Birds

Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill

Tockus leucomelas

Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill has a bright yellow bill and lives in African savannas and valleys.

Scientific name	Tockus leucomelas
Swahili name	Kwakwa wa mdomo wa njano wa kusini
Conservation status	Least Concern
Class	Aves
Order	Bucerotiformes
Family	Bucerotidae
Size	Male: approximately 250-300 grams; Female: approximately 230-280 grams

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How to identify

Large bird with a distinctive yellow curved bill; head and neck white with black spots; body mainly black and white; tail feathers white with black tips; red bare skin around the eyes.

Habitat

Open savanna with scattered trees, bushes, open woodland, and areas near river valleys

Diet

Omnivorous, feeding mainly on insects, small reptiles, seeds, and fruits

When it is active

Diurnal, active during the day

Where it lives

Mainly distributed in southern Africa, including South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Namibia; less common in parts of Kenya

How to spot it

Look for them at dawn or dusk in open savanna or bush edges, listen for their characteristic calls; use binoculars to observe bill details.

Photography tips

Use natural light to capture the contrast between the large yellow bill and black-and-white plumage, photograph feeding or calling moments, choose open savanna or bush backgrounds.

Threats

Habitat loss and fragmentation, locally impacted by agricultural expansion

Similar species

Northern Yellow-billed Hornbill (Tockus flavirostris) differs in bill color and plumage details; Red-billed Hornbill (Tockus erythrorhynchus) has a red bill.

📖 how to spot the southern yellow billed hornbill on safari