Introduction
The Kori Bustard, Ardeotis kori, is one of Africa’s largest ground-dwelling birds and the world’s heaviest flying bird by mass. It occurs in two main populations in eastern and southern Africa, where it inhabits open savannahs, grasslands and other dry landscapes. Its impressive size, cryptic plumage and distinctive courtship display make it a notable species for wildlife observers.
Physical Description
The Kori Bustard is a massive, long-legged bird standing approximately 1.0–1.5 metres tall. Adult males typically weigh about 11–19 kilograms, while females are roughly half the size of males, usually weighing around 5–7 kilograms. This marked sexual dimorphism is one of the species’ most obvious features.
The upperparts are buff-grey or brown, finely barred and vermiculated with darker markings. The pale neck is finely barred, and the white underparts contrast with the darker, patterned back and wings. The folded wing shows a striking black-and-white chequered pattern, while the tail is barred in grey-brown and white.
The head has a dark crown with a pale central stripe and elongated feathers at the back of the neck. These feathers can be raised during courtship or when the bird is excited. The face is finely marked, with a pale eyebrow, dark moustachial stripe, pale horn-coloured bill, yellowish eyes and cream to yellow legs.
Females are smaller and generally less boldly marked than males. Juveniles have shorter crests, more heavily freckled upperparts and paler eyes. The two recognised subspecies are broadly similar, although the East African form, A. k. struthiunculus, is generally considered larger and more strongly marked than the southern African nominate form, A. k. kori.
Range and Habitat
The Kori Bustard has a disjunct distribution in sub-Saharan Africa. The southern population occurs from southern Angola, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe through parts of Mozambique and South Africa. The eastern population occurs in parts of South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The two populations are separated by the broad-leaved woodlands of central Africa.
It favours fairly dry, open habitats, including savannah, grassland, semi-arid shrubland, Nama Karoo and lightly wooded plains. It generally avoids dense forest and heavily wooded areas, preferring landscapes where it can walk and forage while maintaining a clear view of potential predators.
Kori Bustards are not long-distance migrants, but some individuals, particularly males and younger birds, may disperse beyond their usual areas. Local movements can be influenced by rainfall, food availability and changing habitat conditions. The species occurs in both protected areas and unprotected agricultural or pastoral landscapes.
Where to See This Species
Kruger National Park, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, South Africa
SANParks lists the Kori Bustard on the park bird checklist and includes it among Kruger’s prominent large birds. Open savannah, dry woodland and grassy plains provide suitable habitat, and the species may be encountered while driving through the park, particularly in open areas where large ground birds are easier to detect.
Nearby accommodation: Kruger offers rest camps, safari lodges, self-catering accommodation and campsites within the park, with additional guest houses and lodges in gateway towns such as Hazyview, Phalaborwa and Malelane.
Mapungubwe National Park, Limpopo, South Africa
SANParks describes Kori Bustards as prominent in Mapungubwe National Park. The park’s open woodland, grassland and Limpopo floodplain habitats are suitable for scanning for large bustards, especially during drives through more open sections of the reserve.
Nearby accommodation: Accommodation includes the park’s own camps and lodges, while Alldays and Musina provide practical bases with guest houses, lodges and other safari accommodation.
Nairobi National Park, Nairobi County, Kenya
The Kenya Wildlife Service identifies the Kori Bustard as one of Nairobi National Park’s notable resident birds. The park’s open grasslands and scattered acacia woodland create suitable viewing conditions close to Nairobi, although sightings depend on local conditions and the bird’s movements.
Nearby accommodation: Nairobi provides a wide range of hotels, guest houses, serviced apartments and safari lodges, with accommodation available in and around the city.
Behaviour and Diet
Kori Bustards are usually seen alone or in small groups. They spend much of the day walking slowly through open habitat, pausing to inspect the ground and vegetation. Their large size makes them conspicuous, but their finely patterned plumage provides effective camouflage when they stand motionless among dry grasses.
They are opportunistic omnivores. Their diet includes grasshoppers, locusts, beetles, termites, caterpillars and other invertebrates, as well as small lizards, snakes, rodents, birds, eggs and nestlings. Plant material such as seeds, fruit, bulbs, roots, leaves, flowers, pods and wild melons may also be eaten. They can consume plant or animal material according to what is available locally.
Kori Bustards obtain some moisture from their food and are adapted to dry environments, although they will drink when suitable water is available. They may walk considerable distances while foraging and can move between feeding areas in response to rainfall and food availability.
Males are polygynous and take no part in incubation or chick-rearing. During courtship, a male may inflate his neck and throat, raise his crest, fan or cock his tail, droop his wings and produce deep booming sounds. Competing males may display near one another and can become aggressive.
The female lays her eggs in a shallow scrape on the ground, usually in a location where surrounding vegetation or objects provide some concealment without blocking visibility. She incubates the eggs and raises the chicks alone. Young birds are precocial and can move soon after hatching, but remain dependent on the female while learning to feed and avoid danger.
Identification Tips
- Look for an exceptionally large, long-legged bird walking through open grassland or savannah.
- The combination of massive size, pale barred neck, brown-grey back and bold black-and-white wing pattern is distinctive.
- A raised crest, inflated neck, fanned tail and drooping wings indicate an excited or displaying male.
- In flight, the broad wings show contrasting pale and dark patterning, but the species usually prefers walking and may fly only when disturbed or moving between areas.
- Females are noticeably smaller and less strongly marked than males, although both sexes share the same overall shape and plumage pattern.
- The closely related Arabian Bustard can overlap with the eastern part of the Kori Bustard’s range, but the Kori Bustard is generally much larger and has a particularly massive build. Identification should also take distribution and habitat into account.
Conservation Status
The Kori Bustard is currently assessed as Near Threatened globally. Its population size is not sufficiently known for a precise global estimate, but available evidence indicates declines in parts of its range.
Major threats include conversion of grasslands and savannahs to agriculture, habitat fragmentation, disturbance, hunting and collisions with overhead power lines. The species’ large body, ground-nesting behaviour and relatively low reproductive rate increase its vulnerability to disturbance and the loss of suitable habitat.
Conservation measures include protecting open savannah and grassland, maintaining habitat outside formal reserves, reducing collision risks around power infrastructure and limiting hunting. Monitoring is important because many Kori Bustards occur outside protected areas, where changes in land use may be difficult to detect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the Kori Bustard live?
The Kori Bustard lives in eastern and southern Africa. It favours open savannah, dry grassland, semi-arid shrubland and lightly wooded plains, avoiding dense forest and heavily wooded habitats.
Is the Kori Bustard the largest flying bird?
The Kori Bustard is widely recognised as the world’s heaviest flying bird by mass. It is also one of the largest flying birds and the largest flying bird native to Africa.
What does the Kori Bustard eat?
It eats a wide range of food, including insects, other invertebrates, small reptiles, rodents, birds, eggs, seeds, fruit, bulbs, roots and other plant material.
Can Kori Bustards fly?
Yes. Kori Bustards are powerful but relatively infrequent fliers. They usually walk while foraging and may fly when disturbed, travelling between feeding areas or responding to local conditions.
How does the Kori Bustard breed?
The species is polygynous. Males display to attract females but do not incubate the eggs or raise the chicks. The female lays her eggs in a shallow ground scrape and cares for the precocial young.
Is the Kori Bustard endangered?
The Kori Bustard is currently classified as Near Threatened rather than Endangered. It is affected by habitat loss, hunting, power-line collisions and its relatively slow reproductive rate, and populations are declining in some regions.
References
- BirdLife International
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
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