Habitat preferences of Southern Ground-hornbills in the Kruger National Park: implications for future conservation measures

Understanding how a species utilises its habitat, and the processes that give rise to its movements and patterns of space use, is critical for its conservation. Southern Ground-hornbills Bucorvus leadbeateri are listed as Endangered in South Africa, as a result of habitat loss and persecution. The National Species Recovery Plan lists reintroductions as a suitable conservation action, but highlights “understanding the exact habitat requirements of Southern Ground-hornbills” as a knowledge gap. In this study, we used tracking data from six Southern Ground-hornbill groups (a total of 37,060 GPS locations) in the Kruger National Park to investigate their seasonal home range differences and habitat preferences. We used first-passage time analysis to determine the scale at which Southern Ground-hornbills concentrate their foraging efforts and whether specific movement behaviours were linked to habitat types. We found marked differences in seasonal home ranges, with all groups showing a range contraction during the breeding season. Grassland and open woodland habitat types were used throughout the year in accordance with their availability within the territory, with grassland, open woodland and dense thicket being favoured habitats for foraging. Our habitat preference results, based on longitudinal GPS data, allowed us to determine ideal habitat ratios (grassland:open woodland:low shrubland of 1.00:6.10:0.09 ha) to assist with the selection of suitable reintroduction sites for Southern Ground-hornbills. With an increasing number of species being threatened with extinction, reintroductions into suitable habitats may be a useful conservation mitigation measure. However, our findings highlight the importance of a thorough understanding of a species’ movement and space use prior to the selection of areas for reintroduction to ensure the establishment and sustainability of these species at these sites.