Kori Bustard

Within the sub-region, three very large and majestic bustards occur, with the largest, the Kori Bustard, favouring the central region of woodland savanna, while the Ludwig’s Bustard prefers the arid savanna further west and the scrubland of the Great Karoo.

Ludwig’s Bustard

Denham’s Bustard, previously known as Stanley’s Bustard, favours area of higher rainfall from the coastal plains to upland grassland along the eastern edge of the Great Escarpment.

Denham’s Bustard – male

The majestic and now endangered Kori Bustard, in terms of size, is generally considered to be the heaviest flying bird in the world with a verified mass of 22 kg.

Kori Bustard

 While the slightly smaller Ludwig’s and Denham’s Bustards appear similar in appearance and terrestrial behaviour, requiring careful observation to definitively separate the two species in the field more difficult by either a tendency to take flight or stride directly away from the observer.

Ludwig’s Bustard

 In flight the secondary white panels of the Ludwig’s Bustard do not extend towards the body and the tail appears brown.

Denham’s Bustard

In the Denham’s bustard the white in the wing extends towards the body and the tail reflects a strong white panel in flight.

A few more images of the magnificent Kori Bustard:

Kori bustard

Kori Bustard