Bradfield's Hornbill

Bradfield's Hornbill

Lophoceros bradfieldi

Silhouette: Charles J. Sharp and T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Chobe National Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

444 Verified sightings at Chobe National Park From 2019 to 2026
750 In all 5 parks
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Bradfield's Hornbill

Bradfield's hornbill (Lophoceros bradfieldi) is an African hornbill. It is a medium-sized bird, 50–57 cm (20–22 in) in length, characterized by black back and wings and a white belly. The tip feathers of the long tail are white. Females are smaller than males and can be recognized by turquoise facial skin. The eyes are yellow and the beak is red. The beak is long and presents no casque.

This is an uncommon resident of the mopane woodlands and mixed thorn fields of northeastern Namibia (especially on the Waterberg plateau), northern Botswana, southern Angola and eastern Zimbabwe. They feed on fruits, large insects, nuts and small reptiles.

The common name and Latin binomial commemorate the South African naturalist R. D. Bradfield (1882-1949). Bradfield's hornbill - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:11

Zambia · 2022

© Dries Van de Loock · XC758564 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:55

Namibia · 2016

© Peter Boesman · XC346862 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~30%
2 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
~20%
3 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~10%
4 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
~10%
5 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Bradfield's Hornbill in Chobe National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Bradfield's Hornbill sighting in Chobe National Park on a given day, based on 444 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 53rd most-seen of the 373 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Bradfield's Hornbill in Chobe National Park?

September

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Bradfield's Hornbill in Chobe National Park on a given day, against about 10% in November to January, the lowest months. That is one of Chobe National Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 150 mm in January.

What time of day is best to see a Bradfield's Hornbill?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Bradfield's Hornbill sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Chobe National Park the best place to see a Bradfield's Hornbill?

2nd of 5

Of the 5 parks where we can rate Bradfield's Hornbill sightings, Chobe National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Hwange National Park (Zimbabwe, about 30%).

Where does the Bradfield's Hornbill sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Bradfield's Hornbill is recorded against all the birds logged in Chobe National Park (444 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Chobe National Park