Birds · Otidiformes · Otididae

Kori Bustard

Ardeotis kori

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The kori bustard is one of the heaviest flying birds in the world: large males exceed 18 kilos. It walks slowly across the African savannah looking for insects, reptiles, seeds and carrion, and only flies when it has no alternative. The male's display in the breeding season is spectacular: he inflates his neck until it is four times its normal thickness, fans his tail over his back and gives a deep booming call that can be heard more than a kilometre away.

Weight

5 kg – 19 kg

Size

1.1 m – 1.4 m

Lifespan

30 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

SavannaDesertGrasslandOmnivore Diurnal Solitary Near Threatened Bird Savanna Desert Grassland

43countries 29parks3same family

Fun facts

reproducciónIt is one of the heaviest flying birds in Africa, and the males court by inflating the neck and raising the plumage to look larger.
It is one of the heaviest birds in the world still able to fly: a large male exceeds 18 kilos, at the limit of what the physics of flapping flight allows.
It associates with oxpeckers, which perch on it to eat its parasites, and it also follows meerkat groups and savannah fires to catch the insects fleeing them.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Open savannah, semi-arid grassland and scrub of eastern and southern Africa
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 24 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardeotis_kori