Abyssinian horned raven. Kaffir horned raven (lat. Bucorvus leadbeateri)

The Kaffir Horned Raven (lat. Bucorvus leadbeateri) is the largest member of the Hornbill family (Bucerotidae). Among most of the tribes inhabiting South Africa, it is considered a sacred bird.

In local mythology, it is she who brings the long-awaited rainy season and defeats the drought. Before it starts, the horned crows become especially noisy. Their loud low cry "boo-hoo-hoo" is heard at a distance of up to 5 km. For Africans tired of the unbearable heat, such sounds seem like divine music.

The killing of a horned raven was previously strictly prohibited, and a severe punishment awaited the violator of the taboo, because through his fault there might not have been life-giving moisture from the sky. Now morals have changed. Outside protected areas national parks Sacred birds no longer feel as safe as before and in many regions they are recognized as a species on the verge of extinction.

Behavior

The habitat is found on almost everything African continent south of the equator. Mostly birds choose to live in open savannas with tall grass, overgrown in places with thorny bushes, acacias and baobabs. Rarely settle on the outskirts of tropical and sub rainforest.

Horned crows are active during daylight hours. They form family groups of 2 to 10 birds, consisting of spouses and their offspring. There is a strict hierarchy in the groups, where the younger ones strive in every possible way to respect the older ones.

Matured chicks with obvious zeal help their parents to educate and feed the younger generation. The aged leader is expelled from the pack, and his place of honor goes to the eldest son. Birds actively share with each other the information received and the acquired skills, which allows them to quickly adapt to changing conditions. Young females live separately for some time, and then join a new flock.

One family group can occupy an area of ​​up to 100 square meters. km. She defends the borders of her possessions from the encroachments of her relatives from other groups. When there is enough food for everyone, birds can show tolerance towards strangers.

Throughout the day, horned crows are busy looking for food. They either slowly fly above the ground, or slowly walk among the grass. They find their food exclusively on the surface of the soil. The diet includes various insects, snails, small rodents and snakes. Occasionally, the menu is supplemented with fruits and carrion in the dry season.

reproduction

The Kaffir Raven prefers to build its nest in baobab hollows or tree stumps. All relatives take part in its construction. Everyone wants to make their own contribution. The younger ones collect the necessary construction material from dry grass and branches, and the more experienced are directly engaged in architectural delights. Unlike other members of their family, crows do not wall up the hole in the nest, generously allowing the female to stretch her wings a little.

The mating season lasts from October to December and takes place once every three years. All relatives take care of the female's food. She usually lays 2 white eggs. Incubation lasts an average of 40 days. During incubation, the female briefly leaves the nest no more than 3-4 times a day, being on full social security.

The chick hatches into the world weighing about 60 g. It has an enviable appetite and after 4 days weighs more than 240 g. At this time, its younger brother appears. As a rule, an unenviable fate awaits him. The older offspring most often kills the younger or takes away food from him, dooming him to starvation. It is very rare for a weaker offspring to survive. The group feeds the babies up to 10 times a day.

At the age of 85 days, the chicks fledge, but loving relatives continue to take care of them for several more months. Kaffir horned crows become sexually mature at the age of 6-7 years.

Description

The body length of adults is 90-100 cm. Males weigh 3.6-6.2 kg, and females 2.3-4.6 kg. The plumage is black. There is bare reddish skin on the head around the eyes and neck. In juveniles, it is colored yellow. The beak is straight and black with a characteristic helmet. In males, the helmet is more developed than in females.

Lifespan of the Kaffir Horned Raven vivo about 40 years old. In captivity at good care he lives up to 60 years.

You should immediately pay attention to the fact that the name of these unusual birds incorrectly conveys their true systematic position, since they are not relatives of real ravens, ravens, rooks and jackdaws, and belong to a completely different family.

Horned crows (lat. Bucorvus) are a genus of African hornbills, leading, unlike most other representatives of this group, a terrestrial lifestyle. Sometimes they, together with the African kalaos, are separated into a separate family Bucorvidae as part of the order Bucerotiformes, separating it from the Coraciiformes. This family is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa: the Abyssinian horned raven is distributed along the meridional direction from Senegal east to Ethiopia, and the Kaffir horned raven is found in South and East Africa.

Horned crows are large birds, the body size of adults is about a meter. Both species are terrestrial, unlike other rhinos, and feed on insects, snakes, other birds, amphibians, and even turtles. They are among the longest-lived birds, and the larger southern species, the Kaffir Horned Raven, is possibly the longest-lived and slowest-reproducing (breeding once every three years) of the Aves class.
Only two species belong to this genus - the Abyssinian (or northern) horned raven and the Kaffir (or southern). The Abyssinian occupies savannahs and woodlands from Senegal to Western Somalia and Kenya, and the area of ​​​​distribution of the Kaffir horned crow is African savannah south of the equator, where it inhabits open spaces with sparse shrubs from Kenya to South Africa. In the mountains of Ethiopia and East Africa these birds rise to a height of up to 3000 meters above sea level. In general, their habitat covers the entire continent south of the Sahara, with the exception of the zone of equatorial tropical forests and deserts.

Horned crows are large and heavy members of the entire hornbill family. Their length from the tip of the beak to the tip of the tail ranges from 90 to 130 cm with a wingspan of almost two meters and a surprisingly low weight of 3.5 to 6 kg (the Kaffir is the larger crow). A relatively small weight with such an impressive size is due to the lightness of the skeleton and numerous subcutaneous air cavities. The bulky beak with a horn (more precisely, a helmet) is also hollow and partially filled with spongy bone tissue with thin bridges.
Birds differ from other members of the family in black plumage and bright red areas of bare skin on the head around the eyes and upper neck (in young birds, these areas yellow color). The "mourning" black plumage of horned ravens is enlivened by white primary flight feathers, which do not stand out too much on folded wings, but in a flying bird they are noticeable from afar.

Species and gender are determined by the color of the non-feathered parts of the head and neck. The female Kaffir horned crow has swollen and folded skin around the eyes and on the front of the neck is brilliant red, and on the sides of the throat is blue. The male has only red color, without blue spots.

They spend most of their time on the ground, walking slowly across the savannah and gathering food, but they can also run quite well. In this regard, they have a relatively short tail and long strong legs with short fingers. In order not to damage the eyes on the tough grass, which moves its head apart in search of food, the bird has luxurious long black eyelashes, which at the same time look spectacular against the background of a vast circle of bare bright red skin.

The female Abyssinian horned crow has bare areas only of blue color, the male is blue-red. The beak is black, straight, has a specific outgrowth - a helmet, which is more developed in males. "Helmet" northern view quite high and as if chopped off in front, and on the sides of the black beak it stands out along a yellowish spot. The southern one has a small helmet (in females it can be almost not expressed), and the beak is one-color.

They are real predators among hornbills. Horned crows hunt in small groups, and big booty often pursue together. Their diet includes not only a variety of insects (grasshoppers, beetles, scorpions, termites) and their larvae, but also more serious prey, in the form of various vertebrates - frogs, lizards, snakes (often poisonous), turtles, rodents. Sometimes even squirrels, young hares and mongooses are caught. These birds are able to eat almost any medium-sized one that they can catch.

From early morning they methodically comb one grassy area after another in search of prey. Keeping a distance within sight, the birds go in parallel courses, scaring small animals from the grass, examining voids under stones and deadwood. The morning hours are not chosen by chance - reptiles, amphibians and arthropods that have not had time to warm up in the sun still move extremely sluggishly. Quickly grabbing prey from the ground with the tip of their beak, like with tweezers, and then crushing it with their jaws or hitting the ground several times, they throw it into the air to make it easier to swallow. Larger prey is pre-killed strong blows beak or paws. large snake or a lively rat force clan members to use joint action tactics - the victim is surrounded, and then exhausted with attacks. Sometimes some members of the family play the role of beaters on foot, while others, having flown forward, meet the fugitive with a sudden attack. During the period of abundance of food, the birds chop the excess on knots or leave it in the forks of branches, like some kind of shrikes. Sometimes they eat carrion, feasting on carrion-eaters at the same time, they also eat fruits and seeds. These are the only birds of all hornbills that can pick up several food objects in their beaks and, without swallowing, carry them to the nest.

The social organization of ravens is very unusual. Horned ravens lead sedentary life, occupying vast territories from 5-10 to 200 km2. They live in small groups (from 2 to 11 individuals), consisting of a dominant pair of adult birds and their offspring, remaining with their parents after reaching puberty. The "first violin" in the family is played by the female, the rest, including the spouse, obey her whims. Young crows help their parents feed the chicks and protect the territory. In the evening, the birds cry all together for a long time, thereby asserting their rights to the territory. Sitting higher, horned crows hoot low, emit trumpet, croak and roaring cries that are heard at a distance of 4-5 km, for which the native tribes call them thunder birds. Birds use inflating throat sacs and a distensible esophagus as resonators. In addition to screams, horned ravens have more sophisticated ways to attract attention to themselves. For example, carefully holding an egg in its huge beak, a bird from a dominant pair manipulates it in front of the rest of the group.

They nest in hollow stumps, in hollows of large trees (baobabs), sometimes in rock crevices. One shelter can serve the birds for many years, but, as a rule, suitable places at different ends of the site are used alternately. The nest, unlike other members of the family, is not walled up, and the female leaves it daily to defecate and take care of herself.
The timing of reproduction is not too dependent on the time of year, but more often occurs during the rainy season (from September to December). Only one dominant female takes part in nesting, the other members of the group only help her. A clutch of 1-3 white, surprisingly small (compared to the size of the mother) eggs is incubated for 5-6 weeks by the female, which at this time is fed by all members of the group. As a rule, chicks hatch with a difference of 3-5, sometimes up to 15 days. They are nesting type, i.e. naked, blind, absolutely helpless. At the age of several days, the younger chick usually dies, and the older one, 7-10 days after hatching, begins to be covered with dark downy feathers (neither chicks nor adult hornbills have real down). Adult plumage in horned ravens appears at the age of 3 months. When the chicks grow up, the breeding pair leaves only males in the group, and the females, when they become sexually mature (at the age of 4-6 years), are kicked out. Moreover, as soon as the main male becomes old, the eldest son kicks him out and takes his place himself.

The increase in the number of birds of this species occurs very slowly, on average, only one chick survives to adulthood in 9-10 years. The life expectancy of these birds is 35 - 40 years.

As shown by observations of this species in natural environment and in zoos around the world, bird behavior is complex and varied. The specialists of the Moscow Zoo note that the birds are constantly looking for different objects in the aviary, having found them, show them to each other, and begin to treat each other with them. If one finds a bright stone, he immediately runs and shows it to another. When given a piece of watering hose to play with, the crows decide on which side this "snake" will have its head. As soon as they determine it, they begin to “kill” it, aiming precisely at the place they have determined.
In many distribution areas, the species is protected by the local population due to traditional beliefs associated with the intelligent behavior of the species.

Interesting fact: The horned raven has a look very similar to that of a person. Above and below the eyes there are eyelashes that any girl would envy: long, thick, black. These birds are not afraid of a person and easily approach him and look straight into his eyes.

The Abyssinian Horned Raven, along with another member of the Bucorvus genus, the Kaffir Horned Raven (Bucorvus leadbeateri), differs from other hornbills in having an additional cervical vertebra(there are 15 in total), the presence of both carotid arteries, more long legs and large sizes body. The body is strong, with short wings and tail. The beak is rather large, slightly bent, laterally flattened, with a blunt end, with beak halves not closing in the middle and decorated with only one, although rather high growth above the base of the upper beak half. The outgrowth starts from the middle of the crown and extends approximately to the first third of the entire length of the beak; in front it is either open, continuing further in the form of a tube, or closed.

The eyes and throat area are bare and very brightly colored. The plumage is brilliant black, with the exception of ten yellowish-white flight feathers. The eyes are dark brown. The beak is black, with a yellowish spot on the upper half. Males have blue and red skin around the throat and blue around the eyes, females have blue skin around the eyes and neck.

The average body length is about 1 m, weight - 4 kg. Wingspan from 495 to 595 mm.

Abyssinian horned ravens are primarily terrestrial, taking to the air to capture prey or defend territory. They walk well and are able to run. They perch in trees at night, probably to avoid predation.

They live in permanent family groups, consisting of 4-8 individuals (occasionally up to 11-20). Each group consists of a breeding pair and its offspring of different ages, which act as nesting helpers. The habitat area of ​​the group ranges from 2-4 to 260 km².

Communication occurs through visual and acoustic interactions.

Abyssinian horned crows are predominantly carnivorous. They feed on a variety of reptiles, including African vipers (Bitis), cobras (Naja), turtles and lizards, mammals such as hares and mongooses, as well as arthropods - insects and spiders. Sometimes they eat carrion. In search of food, they may follow ungulates and fires; up to 11 km per day. For the extraction of arthropods and honeycombs, they are able to dig the ground. They rarely eat plant foods.

Abyssinian horned crows resemble secretary birds (Sagittarius serpentarius) in foraging, killing their prey with a few strokes of their paws or beak; smaller objects crows just grab. They themselves, in turn, can become prey large predators, such as leopards, while eggs and chicks are the food of smaller predators.

Abyssinian horned crows are monogamous. The breeding season depends on the area of ​​​​the range: in West Africa it occurs in June-August, in Nigeria and Uganda - in January, in Kenya - at the end of November. The nest is built in large hollow trees (mainly baobabs) or in rock crevices. Birds do not cover the entrance to the hollow. The males prepare the nest by lining it with dry leaves, and then the female enters it and lays one or two eggs over a period of about five days. The eggs are round, white, small in size, with a rough shell. Incubation period starts with the first egg, so the second chick grows more slowly and usually does not survive. Incubation lasts 37-41 days, during which the males bring food to the incubating female; during this period, the birds do not clean the nest.

Newborn chicks weigh about 70 g. The firstborn grows very quickly, and by the fourth day its weight can reach 350 g, while the youngest chick usually dies by this time. The whole family feeds the chick, flying over long distances and combing considerable distances on foot within sight of each other. In cases of hunting for large prey, birds come to each other's aid. The chick remains in the hollow for up to 3 months, supplementary feeding continues for another 8-9 months. It fledges by about the 85th day of life.

Juveniles stay with their parents until three years of age, although it is possible to visually determine their sex by color already at the age of one year.

Life expectancy in captivity averages 40 years.

The Abyssinian horned raven is distributed in a wide zone of north-central Africa, from southern Mauritania and Guinea in the west to Ethiopia, northwestern Somalia, northeastern Kenya and northern Uganda in the east. Inhabits savannahs, semi-desert shrub biotopes and rocky areas, preferring low vegetation that facilitates feeding. Crows are tolerant of human disturbed areas, but require large trees for nesting.

The total population size is unknown, but is considered stable due to lack of evidence of decline or any threat. international union Conservation of Nature classifies the Abyssinian horned raven as Least Concern. These birds are able to break windows, looking at the reflection, for which they are sometimes persecuted by humans. In some parts of the range, such as northern Cameroon and Burkina Faso, crow meat is eaten by humans.

Abyssinian horned raven- Bucorvus abissinicus, belongs to the order Coraciiformes, a representative of the hornbill family.

Gerald Durrell once said of the horned raven: "Their fantastic heads with huge beaks and thick oblong growths resemble the ominously demonic masks of the Ceylon dance."

The Abyssinian horned raven is considered one of the largest representatives of its family of birds - hornbills. It has nothing to do with crows and crows, as it might seem at first glance.

The horned raven has a large structure, the size of a large turkey, long wings and tail, as well as elongated high legs. The length of the entire raven is up to 115 cm, the tail length is 35 cm, the wing length is 47 cm, the wingspan is more than 180 cm. The plumage is black with a small white speck at the end of the wing. The beak occupies a special place in the description of the bird. Its beak is huge, practically not bent, flattened on the sides and blunt at the end, black in color with a red spot on the upper half. The main decoration of the beak is a slightly high outgrowth above the base of the upper half of the beak, it is either closed or open. The outgrowth resembles a horn, hence the name of the bird - a horned raven. The eyes of the bird are unusually large, black-brown in color. The area around the eyes and neck is exposed and brightly colored in dark lead-grey-blue.

The natural habitat of the Abyssinian horned crow in the forested steppes and mountains (at an altitude of 1000 and 2000 m) of Africa from the Gambia to Uganda.

Birds are large and they have to eat and live on the ground, only to rest or, frightened, they can fly up a tree. Found, preferred in solitary leafy big trees standing in clearings or meadows, in order to be able to have a wide viewing radius. Their diet mainly consists of small animals such as frogs, lizards, small birds and beetles, they also feed on various fruits, roots and seeds.

Horned crows live mainly in pairs or small groups of 4-6 birds, sometimes forming flocks of up to 12 birds. Cases have been recorded in Lower Guinea when birds form flocks of hundreds of birds, but these are very rare cases and flocks do not form for long.

It nests in trees where there are large hollows or in rock crevices. An interesting fact is that one pair participates in reproduction, the rest of the flock only help to equip the female with a nest. The female usually incubates 1 or 2 eggs, they are small in size, rounded, white color with a rough shell. The care of the chicks continues for nine months after their birth, then they become full members of the flock and can get their own food. Chicks are born without a horn, it is formed over time.

The German zoologist Alfred Brem, who lives in the 19th century, studied the Abyssinian horned raven for a long time and subsequently wrote in one of his famous books “The Life of Animals”: ​​“In an excited state, he behaves very strangely, spreads and folds his tail, like Indian roosters , inflates its throat pouch, drags its wings along the ground and generally assumes a formidable look.

In fact, the horned raven is not an aggressive bird at all, it is very sociable and loves to play with zoo employees. In Africa, the bird is famous and revered by the locals.

Birdwatching. Part 2. Hornbills and parrots. Hornbills. Kaffir Horned Raven

This unusual bird belonging to the family of rhinoceros birds is called kaffir horned crow or in English Southern Ground Hornbill.

It is the largest of the hornbills. It lives only in Africa, south of the equator.

Among most tribes in South Africa, the Kaffir Horned Raven is considered a sacred bird, bringing the long-awaited rainy season and conquering drought.

Anticipating the rainy season, horned crows become especially noisy.

Their loud low cry is heard at a distance of up to five kilometers.

African natives get tired of the heat, so these cries for them seem like divine music.

Appearance

Kaffir Horned Raven - Pretty large bird with dimensions from 90 to 120 centimeters long and weighing from 3.2 to 6.2 kilograms.

A distinctive feature of these birds is the black plumage and bright red skin around the eyes and on the front of the neck.

In young birds, these places are colored yellow.

The large beak is also black, the males also have a “helmet”.

Habitat

The Kaffir Horned Raven lives in Southern Kenya, Burundi, southern Angola, northern Namibia, northern and eastern Botswana, and northeast and eastern South Africa.

It nests in hollow stumps or in hollows of baobabs - the nest is not walled up, and the female leaves the nest daily for defecation and grooming.

Mostly birds choose to live in open savannahs with tall grass, overgrown in places with thorny bushes, acacias and baobabs. Less commonly, they settle on the outskirts of tropical and subtropical forests.

Lifestyle

Kaffir horned crows are predominantly diurnal, forming family groups of the main pair and their offspring numbering from 2 to 11 birds.

There is a strict hierarchy in the groups, where the younger ones do their best to show respect for the elders. Grown up chicks try to help their parents raise and feed their younger relatives.

The aged leader is expelled from the pack, and his place of honor goes to the eldest son. Birds adapt well to changing conditions thanks to the knowledge gained from older relatives.

Young females live separately for some time, and then join a new flock.

One family group can occupy an area of ​​up to 100 square meters. km.

Each group of horned ravens guards its territory, constantly flying around its borders and publishing loud screams.

However, when there is enough food for everyone, the Kaffir horned crows are quite tolerant.

Food

The Kaffir Horned Raven is the only true predator among the hornbills.

These birds feed mainly on various insects: grasshoppers, beetles, scorpions, termites and other arthropods.

During the dry season, birds feed large quantity insect larvae, mollusks, frogs, lizards, snakes (often poisonous), turtles, rodents, sometimes they can even eat squirrels, young hares and mongooses.

Throughout the day, horned crows are busy looking for food. They either slowly fly above the ground, or slowly walk among the grass.

They find their food exclusively on the soil.

Quickly grabbing the prey from the ground, they toss it into the air to make it easier to swallow, and kill it with strong blows of the beak.

Horned crows hunt with the whole flock, large prey is often pursued together. They are the only ones of all hornbills that can pick up several food objects in their beak, without swallowing them, carry them to the nest.

Sometimes they eat carrion, feasting on carrion-eating insects at the same time.

They also eat fruits and seeds.

Lifestyle

Kaffir crows build nests in baobab hollows or tree stumps.

The whole family takes part in the construction. The younger ones collect the necessary building material from dry grass and branches, while the more experienced ones are directly involved in the construction itself.

reproduction

The mating season lasts from October to December and takes place once every three years.

The whole family takes care of the food of the female.

The female usually lays 2 white eggs. Incubation lasts an average of 40 days, during which time the female briefly leaves the nest no more than 3-4 times a day, being on full social security.

The first chick is born weighing about 60 grams, while from birth it has an excellent appetite, so after 4 days it weighs more than 240 grams.

At this time, his younger brother appears, whom the older brother simply either kills or leaves without food, so that the weaker chick very rarely manages to survive.

The group feeds newborns up to 10 times a day. At the age of 85 days, the chicks fledge, but loving relatives continue to take care of them for several more months.

Russian name- Kaffir (southern) horned raven
Latin name - Bucorvus leadbeateri
English name - Southern ground hornbill
Class- Birds (Aves)
Detachment- Shellfish (Coraciiformes)
Family- Hornbills (Bucerotidae)
Genus- Horned Crows (Bucorvus)
There are only 2 species in the genus horned crows: Abyssinian (unusual in appearance) and Kaffir (unusual in behavior).

conservation status

The species is included in the International Red Book, but it is not threatened with extinction in the coming years - IUCN(LC).

View and person

In many areas, the species is protected by the local population due to traditional beliefs. Horned crows may well exist in areas with developed human agricultural activities. The possibility of removing second chicks from the nests and rearing them for use in the reintroduction program is currently being studied.

Spreading

Southern Kenya, Burundi south of Angola, northern Namibia, northern and eastern Botswana, and northeastern and eastern South Africa. They inhabit savannahs and forests up to 3000 meters above sea level.

Appearance

Most large view in the family, the body length reaches 90 - 129 cm, the body weight of males is 3500–6180 g (females - 2230–4580 g), the wing length is from 49.5 to 61.8 cm. The color of the plumage is black, the primary flight feathers are white. Males have bare areas of bright red skin around the eyes and on the throat, females stand out against the background of a red throat. black spot. Young birds are brown, their bare skin is grey-brown. Horned crows reach sexual maturity at the age of 4–6 years, by which time they acquire adult coloration.

Lifestyle and social behavior

Horned crows lead a sedentary lifestyle. They live in small groups (from 2 to 11 individuals), consisting of a dominant pair of adult birds and their offspring, remaining with their parents after reaching puberty. Young crows help their parents feed the chicks and protect the territory. The largest recorded group consisted of 11 horned ravens.
Each group of horned ravens guards its territory, which ranges in size from 2 to 100 km², patrolling its borders and uttering loud cries. In addition to screams, horned ravens have more sophisticated ways to attract attention to themselves. For example, carefully holding an egg in its huge beak, a bird from a dominant pair manipulates it in front of the rest of the group.

Feeding and feeding behavior

The only real predator among the hornbills. The basis of the diet of horned crows is arthropods, in particular insects (grasshoppers, beetles, scorpions, termites). During the dry season, birds eat a large number of insect larvae, mollusks, frogs, lizards, snakes (often poisonous), turtles, rodents, sometimes even squirrels, young hares and mongooses. horned crows most time is spent on the ground, food is collected, slowly walking around the savannah. These birds are able to eat almost any medium-sized animal that they can catch. Quickly grabbing prey from the ground, they kill it with strong blows of the beak and throw it into the air to make it easier to swallow. Horned crows hunt in a group of 2–8 birds (up to 11); large prey is often pursued together. They are the only ones of all hornbills that can pick up several food objects in their beak, without swallowing them, carry them to the nest. Sometimes they eat carrion, feasting on carrion-eating insects at the same time. They also eat fruits and seeds.

Vocalization

Horned crows can make loud calls that can be heard for 5 km. At dawn, people often confuse these cries with the roar of lions.

reproduction

The breeding season runs from September to December. The nest of horned ravens is usually located in a hollow big tree or in a recess among the rocks. The only hornbills, horned crows can occasionally dig a hole in the ground for it on their own, but more often they use someone else's abandoned nest. The male brings dry leaves and adds them to the litter, while only the dominant female incubates the eggs. However, unlike other species of rhinoceros, she can leave the clutch when she wants (because the male does not wall it up). The clutch may contain from 1 to 3 eggs, they are laid at intervals of 3–5 days. The female incubates the eggs for 37 - 43 days, and during this time all members of the group feed her. The chicks do not hatch at the same time, and the youngest often starve to death soon after. It can only survive in years of abundant food. Chicks are fed 4–9 times a day by all members of the group. Interestingly, horned crows do not take out pellets and leftover food from the nest.
The chicks fledge at 86 days of age and usually remain in the group until puberty or even longer. More often young females leave the group. Horned crows breed very slowly, on average only 1 chick survives in 9–10 years. However, breeding rates can vary between individual groups, with one rearing a chick every 2 years and another not one in 20 years.

Lifespan

Life expectancy 40 - 60 years.

History of Life at the Zoo

Once upon a time, only single specimens of Kaffir ravens were kept in the zoo. The couple lives for the first time. The male lived alone for a year, then they got a female. Already by appearance it is clear that this is a couple. Initially, they were kept in an enclosure along with African ostriches, since in nature these birds can live in the neighborhood, but after an injury in an ostrich, the birds were seated. The horned raven is not rare in zoo collections, but it is not found everywhere either. This is a large bird with great destructive power, and zoos are not always ready to create strong enclosures for them.
Bird behavior is complex, varied and intelligent. At the zoo, they know their zootechnicians very well. Birds are constantly looking for different objects in the aviary, having found them, show them to each other, and begin to treat them. If one finds a bright stone, he immediately runs and shows it to another. Their beak is blunt (not sharp), but its blow is very strong. Crows easily dismantle decorations in the aviary, including concrete ones, leaving only the reinforcement.
Feeding twice a day. In the morning - mice and quails, which employees hide throughout the enclosure - in hollows, under stones, between branches, so that the crows are busy looking for food. At lunch - or insects that are laid in plastic bottle, or nuts. Also, these birds are given a mash in the form of balls of meat, cottage cheese, rice, eggs and vegetables. When one ostrich felt bad, and she lay down and did not get up, the crows were interested in her from a gastronomic point of view.
Horned crows keep themselves busy with something. We tried to put a crane with them, but we had to remove it from the enclosure. The crows were so busy with him that it began to threaten his life. Sometimes we give the crows a piece of watering hose to play with. For some time, the birds decide on which side this “snake” will have its head. As soon as they determine - with what, they begin to "kill" her. "Kill" and proudly wear. Food, pebbles are often offered to visitors through the bars. But do not try to take - they will not give.