Bradfield's Hornbill

Bradfield's Hornbill

Lophoceros bradfieldi

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

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Etosha National Park

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

10 Verified sightings at Etosha National Park From 2019 to 2026
750 In all 5 parks
April 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 Etosha National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Bradfield's Hornbill sighting in Etosha National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 230th most-seen of the 260 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

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

April

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Bradfield's Hornbill in Etosha National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to March, the lowest months. That is one of Etosha National Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain against 75 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 Etosha National Park the best place to see a Bradfield's Hornbill?

5th of 5

Of the 5 parks where we can rate Bradfield's Hornbill sightings, Etosha National Park ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Hwange National Park (Zimbabwe, about 30%), Chobe National Park (Botswana, about 20%) and Waterberg Plateau Park (Namibia, about 10%).

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 Etosha National Park (10 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.

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