A NOTE ON COMMON NAMES

Bucorvus abyssinicus is commonly known by both "Northern Ground-hornbill" and "Abyssinian Ground-hornbill." The existence of two common names for the same species can arise from regional preferences, historical naming conventions, or descriptive differences that appeal to various communities. 

In this case, "Northern Ground-hornbill" refers to its distribution, as this species is primarily found in northern Africa, from the Sahel region to parts of East Africa, and "Abyssinian Ground-hornbill" connects the bird to the historical region of Abyssinia, which roughly corresponds to modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea.

BirdLife International and other global conservation bodies tend to standardize names to avoid confusion, but the common name they use may reflect a preference for one over the other. The official name used by BirdLife International as of recent sources is "Northern Ground-hornbill", which is consistent with other ground-hornbill naming conventions, like the Southern Ground-hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri), which refers to its more southerly distribution in Africa.

However, following consultation with local partners in the species' range states, we have chosen to use "Abyssinian Ground-hornbill" in our work. This name is most commonly used in Africa, where "Northern Ground-hornbill" is used more frequently internationally.